


Diamond Green

by MirandaJ



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Catwoman (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, BAMF Selina Kyle, Bat Family, Big Brother Jason Todd, Broken Friendship, Catmom - Freeform, Child Loss, DNA, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Damian Wayne-centric, Damian breakdown, Emotional Hurt, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Family Drama, Gen, Hurt, Hurt Damian Wayne, Hurt/Comfort, Parent-Child Relationship, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Torture, Protective Jason Todd, Protective Selina Kyle, Sarcastic Jason Todd, Stolen Moments, Tim is smart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2019-11-23 10:37:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 37,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18150770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MirandaJ/pseuds/MirandaJ
Summary: The Bat's eyes, that pure blueThe Cat's eyes, that wild greenThe Snake's eyes, that viperous yellowDamian's eyes irradiated green--Then Talia had stolen Damian right from Selina's body and manipulated Bruce into believing he was the father of her child instead of his real love. Now Selina, Bruce and Damian are too close and the truth is unveiled.





	1. Sandstorm Poem

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, welcome to my new story!
> 
> For starters, I think the summary is very clear, I had this idea for a poem years ago, that poem lead me to a plot where Damian is actually Selina's son with Bruce and that is the actual reason he grew on an artificial womb, I have even written scenes for a story about it but never actually did something with it until a few years ago when that whole wedding thing started out on DC's canon, yet I was always stuck whenever I put myself up to write it again, so I started experimenting with drawing, wrinting the different styles like poems and even playing what I judged were fitting mellodies on my guitar and I got to a point a while ago where mixing all those things boosted and inspired me to develop the story. 
> 
> With all that said let's get into the real working of this thing, this story will have mostly a slow development kinda flow, it won't be boring I promise I hope. We'll start off with a poem that defines the aesthetic of the following chapters, which are normal dialogue/narration chapters, the chapters will have each a drawing that is related to it, I can't promise every chapter will have a sketch because I just don't know how my drawing is going. I'll eventually set a posting pace since I'm several chapters ahead of you and have all the structure to the rest of it done, but I still want to know your thoughts and ideas for story so it can be developed to its best. Also as I am trying to get more active on Tumblr, before I post the chapters I'll post the finished drawings and the original pencil and ink sketches there as well as some off scenes and other stuff, but you'll still have the finished arts in here along with the story. Another mention I should make is that my English is not the best so I apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes. 
> 
> That's it for now and with no further due let's get into it.

_ So… _

 

_ Wind cried to nothing _

_ Dust whirled to nowhere _

_ Skies paled ghosting _

_ Powder ground went naked bare _

 

_ Solid sparkles of white lurking _

_ Vulture walls in unison came  _

_ Ground and sky together bursting _

_ Soft beautiful torture shame  _

 

_ Soul… _

 

_ Velvety white sand beneath feet _

_ Fallen, life had been _

_ Against desert storm of dust sheet _

_ Slowly, life rose shining green _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this little delusion of mine and also that you enjoy your read from now on.


	2. Sandstorm Part 01

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talia gets her hands on Damian with some special help and over a decade later this ghost from the past comes to haunt the snake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!  
> So here is where our plot actually starts we'll have some desert moods going around.  
> Hope you like it.

**_Then_ **

 

The snake ran, the metallic heels soundly colliding against the hardwood floor, she passed by the external thick walls to a small window, behind her swords fell, dead bodies hit the ground, to the front a never ending sea of sand awaited ready to consume the life she'd just fought to keep, in her hands an empty small womb. The demon was on her search, he'd find her sooner than she anticipated, she would be quicker, it was the only way, the warrior took a look back through her yellow brownish eyes as she squeezed the mashrabiya at the window, then she jumped gracefully into the dunes. Her path through the desert was long and cold as the starry night fell above her, the beige hijab covered the entirety of her head down to the torso, blending the woman into the sand and the preciosity of the technology she held close to her chest, it was more than just an electronic womb, it was her gateway to glory. She had walked for long hours until she got to the spot where Ravi, her most loyal servant, awaited her with two dromedaries, in silence they met and in silence her journey continued.

 

Dawn broke the skies announcing a small village on the horizon, the introspective town seemed to sink in the mountains of white dust, little black dots turned into small windows and doors as they got closer, their last approach was to a tent by the pettiest buildings, she hopped down the dromedary and ordered Ravi to wait outside the tent. Inside a blonde woman, no, a girl, viciously drank water from a leather cantel, sitting on the poor tapestry over the sand and she didn't bother getting up from her spot noticing the snake coming in.

 

“Is it done?” The harsh voice made the blond look up.

 

“Exactly the way you asked for, Talia.”

 

“Give it to me.” She ordered not letting any emotion out.

 

“Uh uh uh, that's not how it works babe.” The young woman stood walking towards Talia. “We have a deal you know, I need to guarantee that you will fulfill your part.” She bowed to search something. “What makes you think I shouldn't just destroy it right here right now, it'd be safer for me you know? And if you try to do anything to me, everyone will know.” She straightened back up with a cylinder glass smaller than a cup, the object filled with a viridescent liquid and small amount of particles joined together at the center. “You've already gave me the money anyways.” The blond bounced the cylinder in her hand.

 

“Be careful, it is… it is delicate.” Talia scolded not minding the nervousness crepting in her voice, the younger lady just laughed, the blastocyst in the glass shaking by the move. “There will not be a word pronounced about this day from me nor from you, I swear by the blood in my veins.” Talia retrieved the sword in her hip and proceeded to cut her palm.

 

“Hey there's no need for that okay, I just want to get rid of this thing.” She handed the object to Talia. “If anyone finds out it'll be on you, at least this time nobody was killed, I've done worse things than this.” The blond threw a bag over her shoulder and walked to the entrance of the tent.

 

“No.” Talia stated, this time with a scorn smile on her face, the girl stopped on her way out without turning. “Not like this, you haven't. Not to her, she loves you, she'd do anything for you, and yet you did this to her.” The blond swallowed down a dry breath and resumed her walk out of the tent.

 

Talia, wonderstruck, took her sweet time embracing the cylinder glass staring at it with her shiny amber eyes, the time now was unimportant, it could've been minutes or hours while she stared at the developing embryo inside the object. After a while she carefully prepared a workset there in the tent to transfer the lump of cells into the artificial womb she carried, she slowly poured away the liquid in the smaller glass and with an incision on the womb she inserted in the embryo, it quickly adjusted to the bigger space, now it would be a matter of time for it to grow and develop. She sighed in relief touching the skin over her stomach and nodding to herself.

 

_[speaking arabic]_

 

“Beautiful.” She stated to her work letting a pleasant victorious smile spread across her face. “You, my child will be my pathway to greatness. You will hand me world.” She talked as if it was listening. “No…” she smiled again insanely “You will _tame_ the whole world for me to rule!” She let a sharp laugh escape her lips. “Damian, that will be your name, for you shall be a male. My child, Mine!” She mused, alone, in the tent.

 

When she got out it was night once more, Ravi hadn't moved a single inch from the spot she'd left him in the morning, the womb was now wrapped in a heavy fabric just like a baby in Talia's arms. Ravi set the dromedaries and they made their way back to the league opting for the longest way, she was risking too much but she was a smart snake and if the demon came now everything was already done. By the time they got to the League's entrance two days had passed, guards surrounded the place, ninjas and assassins were coming and going, she made her presence known and let herself be taken to her father. Up in the main chamber she knelt down on one knee before an empty chair, four assassins hedging her, the doorways each guarded by two of the armoured men, no windows were to be seen, the wall and the ceiling rounded up spheralizing the room, adorned with great stories of the past and prophecies for the future. The tall golden double doors behind her opened breaking the silence, Ra’s Al Ghul entered accompanied by another two of the armoured men, his presence filled the giant chamber making it seem smaller, he took the seat of the wooden chair as if it was throne of some kind, in fact the artistic carvings all over it made that even more resembling to one, he ran his fingers across the details in one of its arms musing evilly his next moves.

 

“All of you get out, I must speak to my daughter alone.” He ordered and within a second they were all gone. “You have killed dozens of assassins to get out of your quarters.” He got up with despise on his face. “In other times I would even praise your work as you’ve finished them so easily, yet now isn't any other time.” He approached her spilling anger in his words.

 

“It is not necessary that you mourn the departure of the detective anymore my father.” Talia stood up defiantly changing the subject all of a sudden.

 

“I have yet to see why my child, your pregnancy had served well too keep the detective here but as expected you failed on your major task as a female with that disastrous miscarriage and we ought to point out your failure with the genetic experiments you have been trying.” His disdainful tone stung in her ear.

 

“Then I am certain that the news I bring you will be pleasant to your ears my father.” Talia said unshaken by the Demon's words. “I still carry Bruce Wayne's child, the heir to the Demon's Head is alive.” She unwrapped the womb in her hands and proudly showed it to the man.

 

“This is not another one of you experiments, is it Talia?” His face hardened staring at the object in her hands.

 

“This child was conceived by natural ways my father, and if I am not to carry it in my insides then it shall grow in the artificial womb.” Confidently she explained. “However this womb will not last much longer if I don't attach it to better equipment, I need access to the laboratory so this child can grow and fulfill our destiny father.” As she finished he snorted and retrieved the womb.

 

“Very well, it better be a male for its own sake and yours, my fool child.” He slapped her face and dropped the object, she made a nervous effort to grab it before it hit the ground, he laughed and exited the room leaving her alone on the floor. At the door her servant awaited.

 

“Ravi.” She called and the servant entered stopping a couple feet behind Talia.

 

“Yes, Lady Talia.”

 

“You are to speak none of today's trip.” She imposed stoically. “You cared for me for a long time Ravi.” A breath, a pause and a blink of eyes. “Now I assign you to take care of my child.” She pointed to the womb with her eyes and so her journey with Damian began.

 

_[end speaking arabic]_

 

**_Over a decade later…_ **

 

**_Khadym_ **

 

Her hands were running through her face, she had forgotten how dry the air felt around this part of the world, she shook the leather cantel the last drop of water fell on her tongue, there was still a long way to go, a total of sixteen hours for her, if it was them, she thought, they'd make it fifteen maybe fourteen. The giant ancient rocks rose before her as she had finally made it to Khadym, the ascot around her neck flying to the side, she hopped down the horse she'd been riding, the poor creature almost dying would be returned to its lord until someone else rented it for its last ride, by the rocks she walked to the portal, the tall single guard ignoring her until the moment she called his attention.

 

“I need to speak to Lady Talia.” She delivered bluntly.

 

“No one-”

 

“Tell her it's Holly Robinson.”

 

Nothing had to be said after that, Holly was taken into a lair of luxury and death, servants of all kinds maintained the place, inside it was like the desert was just a small distant memory by the amount of riches it housed in. She cleaned herself up, ate, drank and prepared herself to be welcomed in the main room, there Talia would be waiting for her, she went over all what she had to say to the woman for the hundredth time, asked herself if it'd shock the woman, if she already knew, if she still cared, if… and an eternity passed until she was finally called in.

 

“Holly,” Talia spoke from the throne of naked people she sat, as if acknowledging the woman in front of her. “It has been a long time since our last encounter, what brings you here?” She inquired stoically.

 

“Batman and Catwoman…” for one last second she pounded if she should really say what she was about to, “they're getting married.” That being said, without a twist in her face Talia swallowed down and got up. “She'll make me confess all the crimes I've done, the people I killed, she… They will find out about _him_.” Holly became anxious, her voice shaking. “You have to help me, if they… if she… we are going to…”

 

“I disowned that failure of a child long ago, he's useless to me.” Talia stated and grabbed the blond by the throat lifting her a couple inches off of the ground. “Still they shall not learn of the secret between us, you foolish woman shouldn't have come here, they will follow you but I'll be prepared.” She dropped Holly, who fell facing down.

 

“No- they don't- I-” the blond tried to speak and get up from the floor.

 

“Oh you stupid woman, you talk as if you have never heard of the detective.” Talia laughed on her face. “You serve no purpose to me anymore, but they shall not know of Damian’s true origin.” The snake spit on Holly and turned to her servants.

 

_[speaking arabic]_

 

“Throw her in the dungeons and prepare the Silent Soldiers of The Pit.” Talia ordered an armoured man. “We will have visitors very soon.”

 

_[end speaking arabic]_

 

 

Talia walking through the desert under the starry night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying your read.
> 
> And if any of you keep up with the comics it would be interesting to read the issues #33, #34 and #35 of Batman's latest main arc which fits between this and the next chapter, but don't worry the story makes sense without that read too. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and if you want to leave me a comment I'd appreciate a lot. XD


	3. Sandstorm Part 02

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Batman and Catwoman get Holly back to Gotham and arrested, Dick and Damian tag along and Talia begins to plan.  
> Also, emotional moments ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, we are back with another chapter.
> 
> Here I decided to skip their fight with Talia and her Soldiers because it is already all well written and drawn on the comic books, so that's it. 
> 
> Antoher thing I've debating myself with this story was if I should include some OC, they are not really crucial to the plot but I felt it would work better if they were in here since canon didn't give me something close to that to work with, so in this chapter you'll get introduced to Nasrin, she's an _extraordinaire being_ , a sand creature that can mutate between a human and a horse and has some abilities with sand.
> 
> As for the update's pace, I'm thinking on doing it every weekend, either saturday or sunday, not sure yet, let me know what you think. 
> 
> That's it, have a fun reading. =D

As they came, they fought, they won, _or so they thought,_ and they'd be going away, Talia watched them from above, The Detective and the Romanian set the horses for the departure, the boy that had once been hers now looked lankier taking after his true mother, he seemed lost not knowing of his role in life, she took pleasure on that image, The Cat and the Holly woman were also delightful for her to picture, the fragile happiness of The Cat against the disturbed features of the blond. They were more vulnerable now than she’s ever seen any of them be before, Talia thought of them in the desert, hoped the sand didn't swallow them alive, just so she could do it herself, someone came to stand a few steps from her.

 

_[speaking arabic]_

 

“Lady Talia,” A faceless woman called “wouldn't it be prudent to kill them now?” the raspy voice sounded like echoing dust into her own insides.

 

“No,” came the simple answer, “I have changed my mind, they’ll learn of Damian, and I… I am going to watch them break and fall, I will watch their agony and their pain and only then they shall die.” She smiled gazing the group march towards the horizon. “Nasrin, go to the town I want you to bring me all the tamrs, the fresh and the dried, every single tamr you find you will collect and bring to me, and finally burn down every nahle you find on your way.” She ordered with wondering eyes, “Now!” Talia exclaimed.

 

A bowed out nod and Nasrin dissolved into a horse of black sand, the dust unsteady as the creature's shape was formed like the dust was in an eternal dance shaking and readjusting to its body, the horse left galloping through the desert as if flying along with the wind that shaped the mountains of sand.

 

_[end speaking arabic]_

 

Bruce, Damian and Dick kept alert the whole way, always on the wait for an unexpected attack at any moment, for the first few hours Holly slept over one of the horses, Selina keeping her straight so she wouldn't fall off, the girls went several feet ahead of the others who made the tactical formation of a triangle around them. The silence that reigned the air tensed up every one of them, Bruce held himself as stoic as ever, nothing seemed to shake him, Dick and Damian shared sad wary looks, the oldest kind and compassionate, the boy morose and lost, Selina couldn't blame him, she in a strange way sensed his pain and in a even stranger way it was painful to her, she felt Holly's eyes on her as she glanced the boy, the unsettling paranoid features of the blond worried her, Holly kept putting her eyes on the boy and every single time she turned back she looked even more disturbed.

 

“Holly?” Selina questioned once the blond had been staring at Damian for far too long. “Is everything okay?” She gently landed a hand on her shoulder.

 

The move startled the woman who almost fell off the horse, Damian caught her midway through the fall scaring the horse as well and then their eyes met, Holly became a shaking horrified mess of distress as though she was seeing a ghost or a monster, she brought both hands to her head gripping to the faded yellow hair, moving her legs to try and get away from the boy. Selina rapidly galloped to her pulling Holly up to her own horse where, she embraced Selina's waist from behind and rested her head on the brunette's shoulder blades, Selina looked into Damian's eyes and she couldn't fault him for anything, the boy just felt close and truthful to her, she tried to find some reason for Holly's reaction but looking at him but she kept finding a feeling of loss still she didn't find any blame. Damian who had been walking took the left horse to ride, so Selina went ahead again and no word was spoken.

 

“Are you feeling better now?” Selina asked quietly with true worry in her tone.

 

“hng-hgn hn…” Holly buried her face deeper into the Cat’s back, several minutes passed grumbling a few times before she could actually speak. “What happened there… in Khadym… I-”

 

“Holly,” Selina sighed “are you okay?”

 

“I am-, I’m sorry Cat, I’m so sorry.” The blond’s voice was breaking down again.

 

“Hey, hey… There’s nothing for you to be sorry about, you were trying to protect yourself, I get it and I’m not mad that you fled here.” Selina explained maintaining her words gentle.

 

“Selina, you-” Holly paused regaining some of her perturbed expression “you don't understand…”

 

“Holly, the only thing I don't understand is why you came here, to her.” Selina furrowed her eyebrows looking into the distance. “You said she protected you but I don't get it, how do you even know her?” She slowly shook her head trying to rationalize it all.

 

“Cat, oh Cat I was so desperate then…” The blond said as if she would cry. “I- I thought I would lose you and I didn't wanna lose you, you're all I have, all I've ever had and she offered me to… to-” tears streamed down her face, “I'm so sorry I wasn't thinking.”

 

“Holly it's alright, You're not going to lose me, it's just a marriage, I'm not going to leave you, I said I'm not mad, I only wanted to understand, come on now just calm down we don't have to talk about it right now, it's okay.” Selina kept astonishing herself with how unstable Holly was.

 

“No, it's not okay, I-” she changed her words midway through the speech, “I let her do it, the soldiers with no tongues, Talia… she almost killed you and your… he- your guy and _the boy…_ it’s all on me, my fault.” The Cat had to pause and place a soothing hand over the blond's shaking one.

 

“It is not, we came here, we knew the risks, we dealt with it, those soldiers were nothing compared to what B and I can do and Talia will never beat me, cats eat snakes right?” Selina tried her best to pull a playful tone.

 

“No, they don’t.” Holly chuckled slightly.

 

“Well this Cat does.” Selina lifted an eyebrow looking to the other girl over her shoulder.

 

The rest of their entire way was quiet, aside from some casual whispers exchanged between Bruce and Dick, Damian had been silent and somehow Selina couldn't stop thinking about him, about the way he caught Holly, about how she looked at him, she couldn't stop thinking about his face, who was Damian? Talia's son? Bruce's son? She knew him right, she thought so… Hours ahead, Holly had slept again. The long ride was coming to an end as a town announced itself in the horizon, between the hills of sand, as they got closer the place seemed agitated, at first it wasn't quite understandable what was going on but as they passed the town entrance with two palm trees burnt, lines of people grew to the water wells, indistinguishable chatter was heard, confused, sad and wondering looks matched the whispers around. Further south their plane awaited, they came closer together the boys sharing odd looks with Bruce and herself, rushing their pace to the plane where a hostler would take the animals and they could follow their way.

 

When they finally hit the airplane, a mad looking man interrupted their way, he seemed to not account for them and was babbling senseless things in Arab, his tan skin creases folding heavier as he spoke, the long beard stuff with sand all over it, until he fixed his eyes on Damian and started talking directly at him _“The Demon’s send his curse upon us, the Devil’s horses have come to take the sacred fruit, The Ramadan is cursed, may our fast be accepted and our supplication rise up to skies begging for Allah's forgiveness, we shall down to the waters and purify ourselves as Prophet Muhammad has done. The Demon’s send his curse upon us. The Demon’s coming. The Demon.”_ He stared into the depths of Damian's green eyes.

 

It of nowhere an instinctive action took over Selina making her grip the whip in her waist and held step in front of the boy, a hiss escaped her greeted teeth and just like the man came he went away with those mad eyes, babbling to nothing, ignored by the crew. They followed up to the plane, as comfortable and xenial the airship looked, everyone sat stiff, tension filling the air rapidly, the silence was now unbearable and as loud as Arkham’s mad screams in Selina's mind, from the corner of her eyes she saw Bruce and Richard sitting side by side at the pilot's cabin, Holly sat to her left carrying on her sleep, and the boy far on the other end stared at the window and Selina stared at him, for seconds or hours, who was that boy? It was like she was staring at Bruce through a time machine, everything in him resembled the man at that age, except for the eyes…

 

“Does he love you?” Holly asked, her voice distant but still The Cat's heart jumped in startle, she'd lost track of time, of anything to be honest, since they left the desert. “Like I do?” She completed the question turning to look directly into her eyes, Selina taking it all in with a single breath.

 

After a long pause and their gazes fade into much wider pupils, “I love him.” Selina said and Holly broke the gaze.

 

“You'll get in trouble.” The blond bowed her head let out a sad chuckle.

 

“We always get in trouble.” The answer came automatically, like countless times before.

 

“Not this time, no.” Holly mused and looked back at her. “This time I'll be locked away in a place full of insane people and _you_ will be in trouble, in that giant mansion with servants swiping at your feet, covered in luxury and… and you’ll want out but won't be able to run and then _you_ will be in trouble.” She took a pause to realize all that and then continued. “Selina, I would do anything and everything to stay by your side, for us to be together like we've always been, because you are the only thing I have, the only one that I've ever had and I love you.” Her eyes now watering.

 

“Holly,” Selina grabbed her hand, “you'll never be alone, I would never leave you, this…” she waved vaguely in the air. “This won't change anything, this won't change _us_.” She searched for security in Holly's expression but didn't find any.

 

“Ladies, we've landed.” Dick appeared behind them to inform, they nodded and thanked him.

 

He and Damian, who had traveled with them, managed to vanish. At the private hangar where they landed a small operation had been set, a few police officers, a couple of Arkham guards and commissioner Gordon were there. Side by side Selina and Holly stood at the jet door, Holly hesitated when Selina took the first step out, it was a dark morning, black clouds poured down cold needles of water, so she followed Selina, the Bat right behind them, there was no escape now, the pavement wet glow cried with her, as they finished their way down the small stair, the officers approached with the handcuffs.

 

In a subtle move Selina pulled Holly's hand and embraced her tight. “I'm sorry.” Shaking she whispered into her ear.

 

“No, I am.” Holly answered. “Please remember that all I do, all I've ever done, it is all because I love you, please Selina, please don’t ever forget that.” The girl begged through whispers, her tears joining the dark rain, Selina nodded, the words disappearing out of her mouth, they gazed into each other's eyes and then Holly was taken, cuffed and lead to the inside of the Arkham van and just like that she was gone.

 

At that same time a black Viano stopped in front of her, without saying a word, the Bat passed her and opened the door to let her in following along, inside both boys awaited them with distant looks, Bruce took off the cowl. Selina was quiet the entire ride, trying to convince herself that all she was doing was for love and it was the right thing to do, still the tip of her stomach twisted, everything felt out of place, felt wrong, she felt cold, perhaps it was the wetness from the rain, she rubbed her arms, stared at Dick and then at Damian, he seemed to be somewhere else, disturbed, his face giving out that he had cried, she had never imagined him crying, if before her stomach was twisting, now it felt like being smashed slowly, what was this boy doing to her? She couldn't figure it out, she had never been this close to him, she had never been so close to anyone that made her feel like this.

 

By the time they got to the Manor the rain had stopped, the cold was still there, wary looks confirmed that it was now official, the family knew now, she wasn't expecting cheerful congratulations, she knew that wouldn't be the case and yet it felt like she was invading, like she was a foreign in a place she used to go since she and Bruce were kids. She replayed her conversation with Holly, she mused over Damian again, a feeling that wasn’t quite guilt but she couldn’t figure what it was, then she thought of Bruce disappearing down to the cave, still turning back to say that ‘she looked lovely’, upstairs alone in their bedroom she showered and cleaned, trying to push aside all the doubts and unsettling feelings at least for now, and just before late night came in the door opened, Bruce entered and smiled at her gently, genuinely and her entire being was warmed up, yes… that felt right.

 

Selina and Holly crying in the rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.  
> And if you want to check out the original pencil sketch for this drawing it's on [ this Tumblr post](https://mirandapj.tumblr.com/post/183707459855/selina-and-holly-crying-in-the-rain).


	4. Sandstorm Part 03

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talia tells Ra's the truth about Damian, Ra's schemes his owns plans to hurt the boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is another Talia focussed chapter, I don't think there will be much more dedicated only to her anymore since the Sandstorm is approaching its end. I really felt like both her plans and Ra's had to come in at some point so their actions makes more sense throughout the story.
> 
> WARNINGS:  
> Sexism verbal attacks.

Half world away the Snake paced soundly around her quarters until she heard the winds of sand blow differently, she then exited to the main room to greet Nasrin, a fierce side smirk grew on his lips as she made her way smelling the sweetness emanating throughout the hallways, Talia entered her throne chamber and there she saw Nasrin, surrounded by boxes and sacks of dates some of it still covered in ashes.

 

_[speaking arabic]_

 

“I see that you have done as I asked Nasrin.” The Snake stated as she sat down.

 

“Yes Lady Talia, how shall I proceed with the tamrs?” The faceless woman evenly asked.

 

“Desserts.” Talia smiled in some evil happiness. “I shall be in the presence of Ra's Al Ghul while you shall call the best cooks of the Middle East and order them to make the most delicious sweets that have ever been made with those tamrs.” She stood and walked past both the woman and the servants around, making it to the ogival arab windows. “Also Nasrin, you must deliver them in your own very special way.” She smirked and dismissed all of the servants looking through the framed skies in the window.

 

“Tamrs were my son's favourite.” Talia whispered into the nothingness before her.

 

So she took her leave, taking her time to process every plan that was coming together in her head as each moment was consummated, soon all would be done and there would be no Wayne or Bat left to stand in her way, she got to the League of Assassins lair and opened the portal. In all her greatness Talia entered the hand carved throne room, she had learned early in life to never bow down to anyone not even Ra's, especially not to him, this time was different though, Talia’s insides were trembling, her looks were stoic and haughty, still her core shook in fear for what she was about to reveal to her father. Talia recalled the night she brought the child in, Ra’s’ distaste spreading all over the air like poisoning gas, this time she wasn’t kneeling down, this time she wouldn’t die, this time she wouldn't. The Demon’s Head was there sitting on his throne with a mad grin on his face, the ominous gleam of the pit in his eyes, the green and beige embroidered in gold robe falling on his body like a godly gown.

 

“My daughter, I assume you came here to inform me of the fact that the Detective’s soon to be married to that Cat harlot.” He snorted looking at her in disgust. “We had great plans, but you as the useless woman you are, not even with a child you were able to marry the man.” If he was going to say something else, he didn’t as Talia stepped forward matching his sarcastic grin.

 

“No father, in fact I have come to inform you that the Detective is not going to marry that strumpet.” The Snake made herself comfortable in a seat to the side as she confidently talked.

 

“And how can you be so sure my child?” Ra's played her game leaning back on his own seat.

 

“The Holly Robinson woman, you know who she is, a friend of the Catwoman, a weak mad woman who’d do anything to end that relationship, Bane has her in his hands, he runs Arkham nowadays and he will use of her to end their love before they get to the nuptials, apparently Bane has plans to break the Bat, the usual from Arkham's Rogues.” Talia shared the news not expecting Ras to be surprised to this point.

 

“And what use do you see of this?” He asked as if talking to a little child. “They have been separated and together again even before he met you, this time would be no different.”

 

“Oh it will” She allowed herself a short laugh, “they will break down, abandon each other, you know what happens when Batman breaks down.” She stood up regaining seriousness. “But that is not just it, this time there will be fury, hate and anger, they’ll rage against each other, because of their lost child, the most precious gem that has been stolen from the thief and never found by the detective.”

 

“Ahahahahahaha, you have gone mad my foolish child.” Al Ghul slowly shook his head recovering from his subtle laughter. “You show yourself as less worth the both Nyssa and Dusan, it's laughable to believe differently.”

 

“You will find my father that I am not.” Talia hasn’t been shaken by the man’s despise, she gripped the sword on her waist. “As you now learn that Damian, your heir, has no Al Ghul blood, he was less than an embryo when Holly herself stripped him out of the Cat’s uterus and brought him here for me to replace my lost child.” Ra’s’ face fell into a sinister dark glow as he steadily got up and she unsheathed the sword. “The thief has long been betrayed by the only person she has ever trusted, and the detective will slowly believe he has been manipulated by his beloved Cat, they'll grief and mourn what they'll think to be their dead child, child that in actuality is right before them, child that is mine, for me to kill and throw in the pit over and over again while they suffer and I make the cursed fruit of their petty love my own personal toy.” She ran her fingers through the blade in her hands admiring the ungodly gleam. “And of course, if you still wish the child's body for your purposes as the Demon's Head, I'll gladly offer him to you my father, otherwise I'll dispose of him when I get tired.” The Snake set her body in combat position.

 

“I shall encounter Damian then.” The man said to Talia's surprise, he did not question her words or her attitude, simply nodded in serious acknowledgement to the fierce in her manners, he walked away. “Do not worry Talia, I will not interfere in your plans, instead I’ll make them mine and even more sufferable, for everyone.” Ra's turned his head to the woman and finally stepped out to disappear.

 

The Snake waited just enough to follow the trail of the Demon without being noticed, through deep tunnels under the desert they got to the Lazarus Pit, the green glow as blinding as she remembered but her father didn’t undress and sunk into the water as she expected, he took two bottles and filled them with the powerful liquid before resuming his way in the dark tunnels. Their journey underneath the ground was long and for Talia especially difficult as she did her best to keep out of sight and still close enough to not lose track of him, strangely he’d been unaccompanied by any of the assassins nor any of the servants, he even took the longer way passing by his personal prison just to stop at door and resume his journey, Talia imagined if he was hiding someone there the place hadn't been used for years but she shook away the thought, it all seemed too out of place even for Ra's.

 

When she thought they were just circling around both of them reached a pier, to the Pacific she figured, there a small group of assassins on guard awaited him, behind tall rocks Talia blended herself quiet, treacherous and she listened as the Demon ordered the assassins to go to Gotham, up until then they were supposed to watch the Waynes as well as the other bats and birds without interference and when they found the Snake’s sights they should report and act, Talia smirked knowing no one ever would get to Nasrin. She must've mused for too long because the assassins were being dismissed, she prepared to turn around and follow him back to the desert but the man proceeded to the ocean on a small, yet luxurious boat, not waiting to lose his trail she looked around the pier and quickly joined a tourist crew on a commercial traveling ferry, she sat at a window hoping that she wouldn't need to call any attention by killing the captain to take control of the ferry. To her luck, the only bloodshed was that of the guard down with the lifeboats, one of which she took the moment she realized her father was taking another route.

 

As to why Ra’s decided to take a long way, Talia had no actual answer, she just followed him through the sea and as time went by she figured where they were heading, the island that had once belonged to Den Darga, am empty unused space since she, the Duccard daughter and Damian had taken Darga down, there had been nothing left in the island, except for… Ravi came out of the tropical forest wearing a stoic expression, accompanied of the last of Talia's genetic experiments, ironically, she remembered it to be first she ever created, not even a week after she had lost her natural child and the ability to get pregnant. The thing, she stared at it, was a perfect human without any physical deformations, saddening to look at as it was an empty shell, unable to think, to feel, to follow orders, unable to even stand on its own, nothing but a rag doll with lifeless yellow eyes, she thought of Damian and his awfully bright green eyes. After a silent greeting, Ra's and Ravi started talking, the distance made it too quiet for Talia's ears, so she got closer lurking around the much too green leaves surrounding her.

 

“-as per your request Master.” Ravi pushed the functioning corpse forward.

 

“It is going to serve its purpose very well Ravi.” Almost as a thank the Demon said with a smirk. “Now, we shall make his eyes green, for the accuracy of my plot, and, naturally give him a name.” The evil spilling from Ra's lips felt poisoning even for the Snake. “Also let's create some psychoactives to make it more interesting to watch that poor excuse for a grandson I have.” At that Ravi nodded solemnly and took the bottles of the Pit's waters with his free hand.

 

As Talia watched them a small lump of rage started growing in her throat, Ravi had long on left the League, why would he be working for Ra's? It just didn't make sense. At a fainted glade between the tropical woods they started descending to the caves, all resemblance from Den Darga's time wiped away like nothing ever exited there before, now the place was the perfect structure of any of the League's laboratories. For hours they stayed in there working, mostly Ravi working and Ra’s ordering, in excellence the blind man conjured chemicals and the mystical waters of the Pit, the bright red air of the caves had been turned into a gloomy green. The stiff body had been stripped up and converted in a grease liquid that had slowly decanted with the mixture of the Pit's water, the other half o the green water had been mixed with the chemicals Talia presumed to be the psychoactives. When all was done Ra's took one of the bottles and gulped it down throwing his head back, the man's entire body started crack a deform, he laughed evilly as he assumed the appearance of the boy's body of their experiment, it took several minutes for Ra's to regain himself and stare conspiratorially to Ravi.

 

“And now the final touch.” The now boy's poisoning words low and distant.

 

The Demon walked past the servant grabbing the last bottle and approached the armory shelves of the place, wisely choosing a whip he dropped the liquid onto the said weapon, running his fingers over it with desire. And for the first time Talia saw Ravi's blind eyes hesitate in his master's direction, Ra's seemed to catch it as well by his sudden turn.

 

“You're not taking pity of the boy, are you Ravi?” A snort almost escaped his lips as the servant resigned from words and gave a single shake and bow out with his head. “Imagine how Damian will react if he learns that the only person who accompanied him and was kind to him since before he could walk or talk is the very same person who majorly collaborated with the theft of his life beside his real mother.” Ra's pushed with a grin and Ravi swallowed slightly. “Well, I, Aion, shall go find my _half-brother_ it is our parents wedding after all.” A boyish laugh escaped his lips as he left the place.

 

_[end speaking arabic]_

 

And Talia remained there, watching, knowing Ra's was on his way to torture Damian, it was nice to capture the boy suffering in her mind, yes that would work just fine for her.

 

Talia Al Ghul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This another chapter attached to the canon books which takes place before the events of the issue Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Robin vs Ra's al Ghul.  
> [ Original sketch of Talia](https://mirandapj.tumblr.com/post/183858203305/talia-al-ghul).
> 
> I hope you're enjoying your read and stay tuned for the next chapters. =P


	5. Sandstorm Part 04

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina wanders around the manor late at night and also thinks about Damian.  
> Dick and Jason have a conversation and maybe Jason has more connections with Damian than people know.  
> Bruce has a moment to himself and strangely he's content with it.  
> Holly messes up again, this time the price may be too high for her to pay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this chapter we finish the Sandstorm part and we are finally going to move on to focus on Damian's perspectives.

Selina rolled over on the massive bed, tangled in sheets, not quite awake, she opens her eyes reaches to the side with one arm, alone, of course, the bright red lights of a common alarm stating 3:45 am, Bruce must've been down in the den working since they got back, or he probably just went out again. Ignoring the light wet breeze coming from the open windows she lied on her back, staring at the ceiling, not able to go back to sleep, so she got up sliding into her black silk robe and quietly opened the bedroom door, walking the Manor hallways was like navigating through seas of pain and loneliness, haunted by memories where once there had been happiness, a shiver ran from her bare feet to her head. She hit one of the small stairs by the west wing, the one that led to the kitchen, a deeply sweet smell wrapped her instantly dragging her to it, the scullery was perfectly tidy clean and organized aside from a little pie, a tart actually, laying on the counter, the smell was so good that was almost poisoning, she got closer, the nightlight from the window spotting the tart like an antique on a museum, sticking out under it there was a simple note that read _'Cat’_ , she smiled, taking the dessert in her hands and as she brought it to her mouth for the bite the thing dissolved into sandy black dust leaving an awful bitter taste in her whole mouth and dirtying the once clean counter.

 

“Aaaaah!” Selina's scream was muffled by the hand she placed over her lips in fearful startlement.

 

“Madam Selina?” Alfred came classily rushing less than a moment later. “Is everything alright?” He asked searching for answers in her expression.

 

“I…” She stared back down and saw the breeze take away the black sand and the note that had dissolved into dust as well. “I'm okay, just having a troubled night, worries about tomorrow’s evening.” She turned to the butler still a bit confused. “Came down for a glass of water, yes, a glass of water, that’s all, thank you Alfred.” She proceeded to the cabinets while the elder bowed out and went away.

 

Selina got a tall glass from the high cabinet above the sink, the reddish brown tone of the maple wood became frigid purple in the dark lights, her hands shaking as she let go of the cold metal of the pull, her every move now was stiff it was like she couldn’t even trust the shiny faucet as it ran water into the glass in a rush she turned it off feeling the water overfill the glass and wet her already cold hands. Selina walked to the window still minding the breeze that took away every sign of the dust dessert, she drank the water swallowing down the bits of sand still in her mouth, wondering if her brain was tricking her, it shouldn’t matter now, she was just anxious that was it, she finally took one last gulp of the crystal liquid and forced all the shaking and shivering to stop, she shut the window with a bump and turned to dishwasher to dispose of her glass, in there a certain green cup sat with the pleasant scent of the the perfect combination of honey and milk and she instantly smiled, she thought of Damian and their visit to the tailor, he’d look so great and she felt so right when thinking of him, when talking to him and making domestic alliances, Selina felt the calm of it all fill her up as she closed the dishwasher and finally walked back to the bedroom.

 

Lightheaded now, she sat on the bed looking around the room on Bruce's nightstand a small frame she had notice it before but never paid it much attention, she took it carefully the four Robins sleeping, she asked herself when this picture was ever taken smiling softly rubbing the little face of Damian, of the four of them, he was the only one she knew almost nothing about, a shiver rushed through her whole body, the bad feels returning to her, it felt wrong not to know him when he felt and was so… close, but that would change, she decided looking once more to the angelic face before putting the picture down, another smile adorned her face following along with yawn, the green cup and its owner thoughts guiding her back to a sweet sleep.

 

* * *

 

“You think they're really gonna do this?” Jason sat his helmet on the side table by the couch and leaned over the back of it.

 

“I don't know, but they seem real this time.” Dick answered finally letting his worried self rest against a pillow.

 

“The brat ain't taking it well, I guess.” Jason said with no hint of sarcasm at all.

 

“Not yet but he'll come around, still I'm glad Bruce trying to make peace with himself, trying to find happiness.” The sad touch of Dick's voice doubted his own words of hope.

 

“Yeah maybe, I was making fun of brat, but I never thought I would ever ever see him cry again you know? He is so…” The younger's words were gone at some point  “-vulnerable.” he rounded the small living room his breathing not working even anymore, “it reminds me of when he was... and he was just so-” Jason had lost consciousness of Dick there and drifted off to a gloomy nostalgy place in his mind, “-small...” an inebriating sweet smell invaded the insides of his nose.

 

“Jay, Jason.” Dick called with concern quickly getting up to catch his brother, they locked eyes and Jason seemed to regain awareness. “It reminds you of when Damian what?” The worries in Dick's demeanor surpassing those in his words.

 

“It's…” the hesitation was inevitable. “I'm just feeling bad for the brat, that's it. He reminds me of a kid I met back when I first came alive again.” Settling down in the kitchen, Jason shook away the tension. “And I am exhausted and hungry, that makes me emotional.” He chuckled intending to sound playful.

 

“Nevermind yeah?” Dick decided to go along with it. “At least you got desserts, so no hunger shall live.” He pointed to the counter at two little tarts.

 

“Uh?” Jason turned his head confused “Those weren't there before.” He narrowed his eyes towards it while Dick was already going for it. “Hey, my counter, my food Dickhead.”

 

Dick smirked and threw one of the tarts to Jason who caught it in midair before, they took the time to feel the crunchiness of the base and admire the shining reddish brown jam, the smell of it getting sweeter and sweeter urging them to bite it. In synchrony they brought the desserts to their mouths and as the tarts touched their tongues the things disintegrated into dark bitter dust, a coughing fit took over both of them, black sand slipped down between their fingers as they looked up to stare at each other's faces. It took more than several seconds for the shock and confusion to die down until they were both able to move, or speak, or go to wash out the awful taste out of their mouths and as if no trouble were noticed Jason burst into laughter.

 

“Are you fucking trying to prank me?” The chuckles still edging his words as he said them.

 

Dick didn't refrain from laughing himself. “If it was me I wouldn't have eaten it too.” He stated mildly sarcastically.

 

“Then who?” Jason raised eyebrows amused. “I doubt the brat would've done it, he's probably sulking somewhere or playing Cheese Vikings hahaha!” He opened the fridge and grabbed two beers ignoring the sandy mess on the floor.

 

“Maybe Timmy got bored in San Francisco, bet Steph is on it too.” Dick took the long neck bottle and analyzed it as he spoke. "He hasn't reached out in a long time, I'm worried about Tim too" Dick said but then just shook the words away. “This isn't gonna turn to dust too, is it?” Both of them laughed and toasted taking large gulps of the drink.

 

“Don't think so, can't go wrong with beers.” Jason answered no room for tension in his voice. "Hey you know Timbo just disappears sometimes maybe he's on a case or something." 

 

Soon they were chatting again, strangely it was like they were close brothers, like they've never been before aside from work, it felt nice, Jason thought.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes to face the stone cold ground, sweat dripped from his forehead all the way down his face stopping at the edge of his chin a second before splashing against the floor. It was hot, but the cool air kept stealing away his temperature, he didn't know how long it had been since he trained all alone, he got up from the last push up, a soft towel rubbing his skin then thrown to the mats on the ground. Bruce breathed, feeling every inch of his lungs expand and then relax out, it was disturbingly comfortable to be completely aware of every inch of his body, every particle in his surroundings, all of the time, yet living like this only left room for exhaustion, his peace was to have no peace, whether he was training, fighting, researching, playing pretend, or whatever else, the whatever else though had become more and more frequent in his life, the boys, Selina, it had been almost two decades since Selina and later Richard entered his life.

 

This night had been no particular night, after all the Joker drama, after pretty much every supervillain drama, the couple nights leading up to his wedding had been calm, _tomorrow night_ , he thought walking under the cold water of the showers letting the crystal liquid wash away all of the misery, the dirt, the pain, only for a few minutes until he turned it off. Outside the small wet cabin a mirror rose in front of him, he carefully analyzed it, his pale skin mauled by countless scars, tainted by the fresh bruises, covered in unshaved black hair. Bruce stepped closer ran a hand over the single grey hair on his chest, pulled it out feeling the shivering sting, then he brushed the very same hand through his head, another couple, maybe a few, lighter strings showed off among the blackness that coated his scalp. The realization made him frown but then it slowly turned into a smile, he captured the bland lines around his eyes and mouth just as well as he captured the scenes of himself running after Cat, or swinging from one rooftop to another beside a laughing Dick, or fixing the car together with Jason, or having a coffee break between cases with Tim, or even just looking at the time mirror that was Damian, the boy was nothing but the perfect image of Bruce physically it was disturbing how much they looked alike, except for the eyes, Bruce chuckled,  the only eyes he had seen shine so beautifully green as Damian's was those of his loved Cat, perhaps it was just his mind tricking him, yes that was it, yet that thought was so… sweet, so sweet he could even smell it.

 

Bruce walked out the showers passing by the batcomputer and glanced down to the side at his desk, where a small delicious looking tart sat, _boys…_ , he thought sighing in amusement, it had been left by Dick probably, or  perhaps Jason, maybe Duke or one of the girls even, well whoever it was just lost it, after all Bruce wouldn't let them get in trouble if Alfred found food down in the cave, and he was hungry anyways. He took it in one hand and as motioned for the bite, right the moment the tart touched his lips a sudden cool wind came rushing from cave tunnels blowing away the desert that had dissolved into black dust startling him. For a moment The man had assumed it was his mind tricking him again, but the powdery sand still itching on his hand, Bruce looked to that sides, then again to his hand, he shook his head a few times, it sure was the anxiety for the wedding, nothing else.

 

It was late, he minded, the next day would be an anxious day, they had a lot to do, he had a letter to hand his beloved Cat, his wife to be in less than 24 hours, he had Alfred to be positioned as his bestman, all of this thoughts whirled in his brain as he made his way up to the Manor. In the bedroom Selina was fast asleep on his side of the bed as if staring to his nightstand, 4:15 am, the red letters read next to the frame of his boys. Bruce sat on the bed, gently pulled the duvets, lying under it, for a moment he stared at the ceiling asking himself if he actually deserved all that was happening, Selina, the kids, this lightness, this… _happiness_ , he dared to think as he turned to the side to embrace her just like he’d do for the rest of their lives.

 

* * *

 

“It’s done.” Holly’s stoic voice was lost in the dusty air.

 

The old small apartment felt so empty, but still unable to even echo her words, it had been a week since she wrecked Selina and Bruce’s wedding, she should be here with Holly but she wasn’t, she looked around the place and could still picture herself and Selina laughing on the ripped fake leather couch drinking beers and watching the news after a robbery, the blond ran her hand over the uneven back of the sofa turning to lean on it, as she dropped her purse on side table. The kitchen also looked just as she remembered, a counter separating it from the square dining table, the porcelain cat standing on it pompous, they’d got it right when Selina started going for the big guys, just before Batman appeared in their way, just before Holly made her first kill, she could still see The Cat and The Bat sitting at that counter smiling ridiculously to each other, he had apparently just came back from the Middle East, had a lover there, even had the guts to tell that to Selina, had the guts to tell her he loved her, had the guts to steal Holly’s partner, her best friend, her _mom_. With an inaudible scream the blond crashed the porcelain cat against the old cabinets, then a familiar laugh filled the air, pulling her back to the now.

 

“I know it’s done.” Talia stated in a haughty voice. “You have done an impressive work, I never would have thought that you were actually capable of twisting Catwoman’s mind so well that she would abnegate The Detective.” The snake walked past the cheap furniture clapping her hands slowly with a smug look on her face, only to stop in front of Holly. “Everyone is happy, right? Bane can keep on with his plan while The Bat is broken you get your Cat back, except…” Talia took the younger woman’s hand lovingly, “She will never forgive you… when she learns that it was you that stole her child for me, that it was you that ended her wedding for Bane, and there is nothing you could ever do to redeem yourself.” Talia finally stroke her face evilly chuckling.

 

“No!” There was only desperation in Holly’s words. “You said they wouldn’t get to know, you don’t want them to know, they can’t know, they can’t, they can’t.” Talia stepped back letting her trip over her shaking legs.

 

_[speaking arabic]_

 

“Nasrin,” The snake simply said

 

The faceless woman of sand materialized in the room, Talia gave her a simple nod and she raised a finger towards Holly, strings of black dust whirled in the air wrapping the blond from her feet up to her head where it invaded Holly’s nose making her cough and gasp violently for air, not more than a couple of minutes passed until she was dropped on the floor agonizing for her life.

 

“Remember to leave one of those little sweets, we shouldn’t waste them out, right?” Talia looked down at the squirming woman on the floor. “We shall go now.” She turned to Nasrin, who morphed into a black dust horse for The Snake to hop up and they disappeared into the night.

 

_[end speaking arabic]_

 

Holly spent hours there on the ground, dawn was lightening through the broken glass window when she was finally able to crawl over to her forgotten purse and grabbed her phone and dialed the number she knew well, it rang twice, until…

 

_“Holly?”_

 

“Cat…” She said, she begged in a hoarse tearful voice a second before she fell again with a loud thump.

 

Holly being attacked by Nasrin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a nice week!  
> =D


	6. Childmonster Poem

_ by repetition _

 

_ born of echoes of the echoes  _

_ raised of screams of the screams  _

_ crawling away _

_ again and again and again _

 

_ in repetition  _

 

_ built of fear of the fears _

_ grown of pain of the pains  _

_ crying away _

_ again and again and again _

 

_ as repetition _

 

_ creates horror from the horrors _

_ hoists chaos from the chaos _

_ becoming this way _

_ again again again  _

 

_ for repetition  _

_ it's all it knows _

_ it's all it does  _

_ monstrosity _

_ once more _

_ again _


	7. Childmonster Part 01

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian wants the responsibles of his father heartbreak to pay, even if he has to make them pay himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the first chapter centered all around Damian and where things are going to start to unravel.
> 
> I don't have lot more to say, so enjoy it and please leave me your thoughts, I appreciate it.

The red disk flew spinning, perfectly contrasting with the blue of the sky and the green on the leaves of the trees, a loud bark shouted, the black hound jumped biting it in the air, rapidly and joyfully bringing the wet toy to the hands that had thrown it. He threw the object in the air once more, the red disk flew spinning, the hound would catch, bring it back to him and so he would throw it again, until he wouldn't, the hound would eventually get tired, night would eventually fall, the butler would eventually call him in. The Great Dane dropped the saliva covered frisbee to the grass and sniffled Damian's hand as if asking for him to continue playing but Damian could not play anymore, not in this haunted house where he pretended that everything was fine.

 

Damian remembered standing there in the middle of the grand hall before the double staircase in his nice party thawb perfectly tailored, a wooden box wrapped with golden ribbon on his hands. He remembered the clock ticking as time slipped by slowly like sand in an hourglass, minutes, hours had gone by, the light of day was already creeping through the windows. He remembered the expectation of both his father and Kyle coming in through the doors with Pennyworth right behind them turning into anxiety of they not coming back, leaving the city, leaving him, alone. He remembered the vow she had made to him the night before, to not replace him with another child, to have his back and so he thought of broken promises. He remembered Pennyworth coming from the kitchen after hours, telling him that the matrimony did not happen and that Selina had left. He remembered not even seeing his father, not knowing where he was, not knowing anything at all. He remembered the emptiness of the house, the loss whirling in his heart along with the familiar feeling of abandonment. He remembered being alone.

 

The boy could no longer take it, the cave had been locked for a week now, the first couple days Damian didn’t mind, he understood his father was grieving the end of his romantic relationship, but upon seeing the news, the looks on Nightwing and Red Hood’s faces, he realized that this was no common grief, Batman was violent, enraged, unreacheable now, the others distanced themselves following their separate ways and Damian was... alone.

 

In a corner of his room he still tried to meditate, to focus, well he couldn’t, the unsettling tingle in his guts, slowly turned the feelings of unsafety and insecurities into rage and his eyes burnt, his whole body burnt, aiming to extricate it all out. Damian got up from the embroidered carpet and steadily walked to the ambry on the wall, he took his time stoically staring at the refined saif sword, so gorgeously dangerous and delicately letal, as shiny as it looked he could neatly see the rusted stains of blood through the eyes of wistfulness. The boy felt a gradually increasing will take over his mind and body, a familiar sentiment balancing his center, he stepped closer, opened the ambry and took the scimitar in his hands sensing its weight distributed through the curved blade to the sumptuous handle, in a quick move he slid it into the sheat and raised his head as in his mind a decision was maken, he wanted it all back, all that thief stole and he couldn’t have it perhaps the thief should pay for it.

 

Damian went out through the front doors, dusk had fell upon the sky long on by then, Titus barked nervously calling him back just to be ignored. He did not care for wearing the red and green suit, he would not taint Robin any more than he already had, Richard wouldn’t appreciate it, in actuality Grayson would be ashamed of him right now no matter the clothing, Damian didn’t let himself be taken by such weak thoughts, he regained focus again as he flew between the buildings until he got to a very specific rooftop. He gripped to the roof sill before making his path to the glass windows and doors that raised from the floor all the way up to the ceiling like walls, several cats walked around indifferently by them getting in and out through other small entrances, the glass reflected him faintly showing his all in black image with the scimitar popping up over his waist from the side, inside a few lights were on and the woman trivially fed some of the felines meowing at her feet, and Damian was about to get in when her phone rang.

 

For a moment Damian watched Selina just stand there aghast, the cats meows mere noises in the background, the penthouse seemed to expand, the room largening into nothingness at the same time that it enclosed scrunching her, she was filled with fear and Damian hesitated. The rush that followed the next minutes fueled up the adrenaline already in Damian's veins, he witnessed the aghastness turn into desperation in Selina who drop the cat food on the floor, the animals chasing after the grains rolling in every direction. The woman hurried out of the penthouse throwing a black leather jacket over her shoulders, he went after her, following her as she nervously searched for something, place after place, apartments, duplex houses, even Arkham, every dead end making the panic grow on her face. At some point in the late night, they reached a small building, The Cat ran up the stairs to third floor rapidly passing by the many doors in the narrow corridor with paint falling of the walls. Selina pushed the door opened to a petty apartment and the look on her already panicked face told Damian she had found whatever she was looking for, as she entered the place he decided to watch from the outside by the windows to get the a better view.

 

The boy rounded the red brick building and jumped down on the fire escape, that was when he heard the screams of The Cat and rushed to the nearest window, and there he saw Selina down on the dirty floor holding the blond friend of hers, Holly, her body was shaking, and at that distance Damian could not tell if it was from the trembling nervousness of Selina's hands or for the agony stamped on her face, her mouth gasping trying to form out words.

 

“Holly-?” Selina bustling asked more to herself than anything and Holly groaned painfully. “shhhh, you’re gonna be fine I’ll get you help, I will.” The cat tried to soothe her.

 

Holly touched Selina’s stomach faintly trying to fix her unnerving eyes, “ch- chi - ild…” the blond’s voice barely a whisper, “y- yor- baby” the other woman’s face got confused and and attentive at the same time.

 

“You’re out of breath Holly,” Selina informed, “please don’t talk, we- we gotta get you out of here, you need a hospital.” She stated deciding that the girl was raving.

 

“N- nuh- uh-, alive y- y- r-  ba- a- by- live- Da- Dam-” Her hoarse whispers were now loud enough for the boy at the window distinguish, Damian gasped, then enraged himself watching the blond’s hands trembling strike The Cat’s belly.

 

“Holly what are you talking about? What ‘Damn’ child?” Selina on the verge of crying tried to sit up straight against the old dusty couch to support both of them better, then Holly reached out to point at the window, they both only now realizing that they were being watched.

 

Damian jumped in through the falling apart frame and for a few seconds he stood there, nose in the air, looking down at the two women on the floor, he let the anger spread and dissipate all over his body empowering him of his decisions. He had been planning to punish the woman who fooled Damian into trusting her she was leading his father towards his way to happiness, just to leave him, and break him, and take away the rest of life the man still had, well now her distress fed his insides just as much as when he looked to Holly who was always there when the bad things happened, the crimes, Kadhym, the bachelorette party, _the wedding_. He stepped one step closer, Selina rushing to get up and fight to defend her friend, but Holly held her down, he stepped a second step forward, now crossing one arm over his torso to grip the handle of his saif as he unsheathed the blade he could see The Cat realizing who he was behind the black wrapped fabric and she felt his anger, she felt it directed at her and it hurt, more than Holly’s bony elbows on her guts right now.

 

“Damian,” She tried and failed a greeting tone, “Damian, I know you’re not okay with- uh, just please we need help.” She almost begged but managed a calmer expression.

 

His answer was silent, he paced a few more steps and with a smooth movement he swung the sword until it came to a stop right below Selina’s chin, touching the tiny lump in her neck without applying any pressure, her eyes grew wide as she gulped down the surprise. That was the moment, he was to end that once and for all, a little push of the blade, and it would be done, no more get backs and fallouts between that woman and his father, no more deceiving, no more distractions, no more weaknesses, all he had to do was push the blade and disappear forever. Then Holly stirred eyeing Selina’s belly and once again reaching her hand out to Damian almost touching the cold blade.

 

“y- ur- child-” The blond’s voice languished away blowing dust off of her face.

 

The words stung in Damian’s head throwing his spirit off balance, making the once directed anger morph into chaotic sorrowing rage of some kind, it was his turn to gulp down, he pushed the blade millimeter further, a single drop of blood streamed down Selina’s pale skin and so he felt his whole body trembles. Several silent seconds went by as the four emerald eyes stared into each other’s viciously, until finally a deteriorated grunt came from Holly and ripped them out of their trance as her own eyes turned opaque and lifeless. Damian swiftly pulled back the sword and ran towards the window, he climbed the sill, just before he jumped down and with the saif still unsheathed he turned and pointed to Selina, the silvery blue glow of the night shining on the blade and reflecting its sharpness in his eyes as The Cat locked gazes with him again, his look of anger gone making space for the grief of betrayal and he spoke.

 

“You lied.”

 

Damian standing at the staircase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This sketch is awful btw, but I didn't have anything else so...  
> Hope you're liking it and have and awesome awesome week!


	8. Childmonster Part 02

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian sits at a gargoyle and reflects on things that have passed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First I'd like to apologize for not posting these last couple of week, I have a lot going on in my life right now and I can't find time to edit the story.
> 
> On the story, I am basing it on a lot of recent facts from canon but I am totally ignoring Ric Grayson, bc well I don't go along with the storyline DC is giving him, but Dick still gets shot tho. 
> 
> Here I also try to start building some of the connections I want Damian and Jason.
> 
> WARNING:  
> There are some graphic descriptions of violence at the end of this chapter just so you know.

Damian sat at the gargoyle.

 

With a long painful sigh he ran his fingers on the bare blade of the scimitar, he recalled those long gone hours when it happened as if the metallic blade was a screen to his memories, after failing his mission of making The Cat pay for what she had done to his father he waited and watched the rush of the paramedics bursting through the doors and getting to Selina and Holly already prepared to do CPR, curious people stared from the windows as they got down to the ambulance,  after various tries for resuscitation one of the doctors got out of the vehicle and slowly shook her head to Selina resting a hand on her shoulder, from up the building Damian could see the black bag being closed over Holly, Selina gasping not knowing what direction to look at hands over her mouth as the sound of the sirens started out again, not just the ambulance anymore, but the police had came as well and took her in.

 

After that Selina disappeared, no sight of her or Catwoman were found across Gotham not even in the police reports, Damian tried to look for her, he needed to make things right, one way or another, and before the nights ended he found himself in the petty apartment again, the place covered with black dust and a rotten sweet smell, he never wandered around, just remade his steps from that night every single night for days until one night he finally decided to search the apartment. His steps were silent as he entered the first bedroom, the little furniture it had was simple and very minimalistic, although even under the heavy coat of dust and he could acknowledge the lavishness of it not quite fitted for the petty environment it was inserted in, perfectly arranged to accommodate art pieces on the low stand and jewelry on the dressing table along with cat beds on the nicer spots of light, he walked into the only bathroom to see it was a common american combo shower and bathtub Damian had still not understood the reason of this unison, and a broken mirror showed scattered images of his covered in black face, he continued walking through the haunted place slowly getting into the other bedroom a girly mess of dirt and styles that could be fit for either a disney princess obsessed preteen or an angry emo twenty something. _It’s pointless_ Damian thought and he was right, there was nothing to see there, nothing to solve, he saw the death, he knew what happened, he _let_ it happen, all that was left was the old apartment slowly ruining by obsolescence and none use. The sweet rotten smell invaded his nose as he stepped back into the living room it was coming from the kitchen, precisely from the sink counter he noticed entering the place, the remainings of what looked to be a dessert, a tart, he started recalling the sweet smell from a nostalgic place in his mind, he grabbed it and just stared at it for what could be either a minute or countless hours.

 

A loud crash brought him back to reality and his whole body went stiff, he shoved the thing into one of his pockets before his reflexes made him hide at a corner beside the kitchen entrance. A giant shadow moved swiftly around the place, the heavy and quiet footsteps made Damian hold his breath, then he heard the fists breaking whatever was left of the cheap furniture and the shadow screamed in that distorted voice the boy knew so well, maybe he hadn’t been the only one looking. Through the cold blue nightlights Damian saw the shadow give up the destruction it was causing, he saw the shadow sit on the couch and bury its face on large distorted hands and there they stayed Damian and the shadow, the pointy ears like spikes over his feet until police sirens were heard in the distance, the shadow quickly stood up and violently kicked down what was left of the windows and then it was gone. Damian let out a sigh of the breath he’d be holding for so long, he felt strange, he felt frightened, _scared_ … then he fled to an old tall building a few blocks away fro Wayne Enterprises tower, the gothic design always seemed to soothe him somehow or maybe it was the city view, or maybe it was the silence up there he did not know.

 

And Damian sat at the gargoyle.

 

He pulled out a phone, one he’d be given to by Richard back when they first partenned up, he scrolled to the man’s silly text messages and sadly chuckled and as if it would’ve been normal he dialed him, the phone didn’t ring twice before the welcoming voice came in, and Damian said nothing, just breathed against the screen before hanging up. The following night all the boy heard was the shouts down in the cave, his father yelling out of control, Alfred asking for calm and then Damian sneaked in through the Grandfather’s Clock and saw it, there lied Nightwing with a bullet through his head, blood leaking everywhere, the rage exponentially growing in Batman’s eyes and he knew… Damian knew, he knew it was his fault, he knew Grayson came back to patrol with Batman, to talk with him, to ease him, because of the call and he was responsible for it. So He rapidly descended the stairs of the den assist Alfred with whatever the elder might had needed just to be intercepted by The Bat, it didn’t take words for him to know he was not welcome, the despise and sourness of the man’s looks were enough to send him away but not without one last look at the surgery going on in his brother’s head. Then he fled through darkness and swung around the city, looking, searching just to stop at the same place.

 

And Damian sat at the gargoyle.

 

By now he had done so every night for weeks, what happened was of his own doing, if he had helped them, maybe the Holly wouldn’t be dead, but then again, his intentions were of killing them in the first place, and in that there was another one of his countless failures, if he had not called Grayson a few nights after, maybe he wouldn’t have come to Gotham to patrol with Batman, maybe he wouldn't have been shot in the head. The weight of the saif sword in his hands became heavier, as he stared at it more and more viciously recalling all the deaths that were directly or indirectly caused by him, the black fabric around his neck and face felt like strangling him, suffocating him and maybe he deserved it, for the constant will of murder that never left him, just when he thought he was free, it was like a button switched on that made his brain desire killing all over again. Damian dropped sword beside him and hugged his legs, his back ached and in his mind death screamed unstoppably, he didn’t know why this wouldn’t stop, he just wished it all to stop, but there had been years since he left the Al Ghuls and still… death and blood crept and ran through his veins and in a dreadful moment of clarity he realized that it would never stop, that was what he was, that was what he alway would be, so he screamed a muffled scream into the night letting loneliness of his monstrous self take over his body and soul.

 

“Ah- hem-” after a moment a fake clearing of throat echoed behind him and he startled “you know this guy here has already been claimed.” Red Hood stated pointing the gargoyle and he casually sat down beside the boy ignoring the looks of hurt in face.

 

“Shouldn’t you be in Mexico right now Hood?” Damian questioned and had already reseted himself into the plain stoicism he borrowed from Batman. “I have heard you and father had another fight.” The double click of tongue implied the unwelcoming mood of his.

 

“Yeah, guess I tried to kill Penguin or something, don’t think the ol’ man enjoyed it so much.” He took off his lower mask, leaving only his domino mask on, the boy watched as he pulled out a small pack and the metallic common tube and lightened up a cigarette letting its smoke mix with the city's below before taking a long drag in silence.

 

"What are you doing here?" Damian asked in empty words. "Why are you here?"

 

"Hey, this has been my spot long before you were born squirt." Hood snorted knowing very well that wasn't what the boy had asked, so he took another drag.

 

Damian clicked his tongue preparing to get up.

 

"I don't mind if you stay tho." He shuddered shoulders taking one long and last drag before smashing the cigarette butt to the rusted stone of the sill they were sitting on, almost robotic like.

 

The boy stiffened, his hands gripped firmly around the sword handle, Red Hood glanced down at him and for a brief second scowled worryingly, silence filled the air between them again for several moments.

 

"What's it with the black outfit?" The older rose an eyebrow towards the boy after finishing another cigarette. "Tired of dressing up as a traffic light?" He chuckled emotionlessly as he asked vainly.

 

No attention to the attempted joke was paid, still the unexpected answer was delivered, "Robin works with Batman and as of lately Batman has been working alone…" Damian swallowed a dry sigh staring down at the city.

 

"That asshole doesn't get a grip, does he?" Hood scorned rhetorically spilling sarcasm. "Careful, if you stay away to long he might replace you when he gets back from his adrenaline rage high." And with that they both could feel the bile taste of what was implied in those words.

 

"He already has." Was all Damian said.

 

The older had to slightly shake his head in confusion, going through all  the names he could think of who had possibly become Robin, Duke had already become Signal and Red Hood wasn't aware of any other new kid around, perhaps… maybe… if he found a way back… it wasn't impossible… maybe… _Tim_ … He was gone on a mission and hasn't returned yet, with another shake of his head he forced the hope to die down under the watchful eyes of Damian.

 

“Catwoman expects a child.” The boy stated stoically.

 

Astonished Hood couldn’t bring himself to speak and even through the white lenses of his domino mask he knew that Damian could see how disturbed his eyes had become. None of that made any sense, why would Selina leave Bruce if they were expecting a baby? Did Bruce know? Was that why he had gone mad this time after all? The questions kept whirling around his brain trying to process and understand what he had just heard Jason honestly just needed to get away from this whole mess and move on his own life and plans. Suddenly he got up to leave and as he did it a sad realization came to him, Damian had been left alone this whole time, with Bruce out wild and violent, Dick shot through the head and in a coma and Alfred looking after Dick, picking up the pieces and cleaning Bruce’s mess night after night.

 

“Hey kid,” he turned his head around to face the boy “if you ever need a place to crash, you can look for me here, that’s my place now.” He said handing Damian an Iceberg Lounge card.

 

“I don’t need your pity Hood.” The boy hissed clicking his tongue loudly but then he glanced at the hand reaching for him and it took him to a forgone place and time.

 

_It had been a long night or day, he wouldn't know because there was just darkness around him, he was hungry, he was thirsty, he was cold, he was scared and he just wanted to get back to the palace, to his bed, to his violin, to his canvases… The four year old boy was shaking in a small cavity somewhere in the caverns under the desert, he knew sooner or later they'd find him, there were assassins all over the tunnels chasing him and he had to kill them in order to get out alive, a silhouette moved past him, he held his breath paralyzed in fear, the built assassin went away this time. He gripped to the sword he'd been given days before, the very same he used to decapitate his first teacher, the same woman who fed him from her own body, his mother's words echoed in his mind 'end her life Damian, Now!' and he descended the saif on her throat and dropped the blade, the woman screamed, blood spilled from her neck and mouth all over his face and dripped from his hands as he gasped wide eyed with the lifeless body at his feet, he heard his grandfather state in the distance 'He's ready for the caverns.' his mother interjected 'but father, he's still-'. The next thing he knew he was here squished into the cavity, he could still smell the blood, he could still feel it wet his skin, he could still hear the blade slicing her throat, so Damian stayed whimpering, hoping it would all just go away. Suddenly somebody stopped in front of him and his eyes grew wide again, he couldn't help himself from shaking, this was it, he was going to die, he tightened the grip on the sword, but the distorted figure in front of him didn't position for attack, he looked smaller than the other assassins, he stared at Damian with lost eyes and had bandages all over his body, he could very well be looking through Damian instead of at him, the boy figured this was no common assassin of the league._

 

_"Who are you?" The boy with a high pitched voice tried to speak in a superior tone to no response. "Why are you here?" He hissed clicking his tongue but then he glanced at the older boy with a hand reaching for him and he took it, to freedom at least for now._

 

Red Hood was gone and the card lied beside him now.

 

So Damian stayed there, sitting at the gargoyle.

 

  
Young Damian hiding from training in the caverns under the desert. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're having a good read and please let me know what you think. =D
> 
> PS: my drawings are getting worse, don't mind'em X)


	9. Childmonster Part 03

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason receives some visitors at the Iceberg Lounge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back (if life doesn't beat me off of this story rails again...)
> 
> Honestly it took me sooooo long to edit this chapter, I had random dialogues and unconnected scenes all over the place and half of it didn't even make to the final thing you are reading now and still I am not contented with it but I figured it was better to leave it at that so I can move on with the story. 
> 
> Not to ramble any longer I just wanted to say that from now on I'm forgetting canon and focusing on this as the AU it is, I may come back to it to explain this or that fact but that's just it. 
> 
> For now I hope you enjoy your reading and have a really nice day!

Jason waited for Damian, not that he expected the boy to come, he knew better than that, the Robin was too proud to accept any kind of help, in the few following nights he'd swing around the city to check on him and saw the ninja dressed boy there at the same spot, he never approached again and Damian never took his offer, to be honest Jason didn't even know why he had offered that to him and still he waited. He warned the Su sisters, warned Miguel and all the employees of the casino, now that he was officially alive it should be easier to mascaraed the stories, they were family and despite of what the media would say it wouldn't be strange for family to visit family after all.

 

Then an even more unexpected visitor came in, one that he ironically had also invited, so when Suzie Su announced that Jason had a family guest he didn't quite believe that this would be the one person awaiting for him in the foyer, posing to pictures like a Hollywoodian, blinding the other guests with that white shining fake smile, gallivanting girls much like the playboy persona he'd used to pull out years ago. Jason cracked his knuckles as he watched the footage from his office, his jaw clenched and an angry scowl formed on his face, _That son of a bitch!_ His mind screamed as he punched the thick glass desk, he glared at the screen once more before putting on his own playboy like smile and walking down the stairs to meet the one and only Bruce Wayne.

 

"Ah! Jason, there is my boy!" Bruce cheered opening his arms welcoming as soon as he caught sight of the young man coming in his way.

 

"Dad! What a pleasant surprise, I wonder what brings you here." Jason copied the gesture and went for a full on hug in front of the camera flashes.

 

 _"Careful with the games you're getting into, I've been a player in it a lot longer than you."_ The man whispered between his teeth into Jason's ear what might have sounded like a threat just before both of them let go of the awkwardly long hug.

 

"Oh please," Brucie waved a hand in the air to pretending some dismissiveness "I came to see how _my son_ and his _new business_ are doing."

 

"Of course," Jason kept on smiling and stole two champagne glasses of a waiter's tray "come up to my office then." He said handing one glass to Brucie and then turned to the small crowd around them "if you all will excuse us." He smiled and pretended to sip on his drink as he casually threw a hand on the man's back leading him up the stairs.

 

On their way up Jason had to bite the insides of his cheeks to keep himself from snarling, he knew Bruce could feel the anger and the tension through the hand Jason held against his spine and he could feel the man stiffening too as they distanced themselves from the crowd. Miguel and Suzie met them on the second floor with frowns stamped over their faces, if anything happened to him now he doubted any of them could stop it and although he knew Bruce wouldn't be stupid to blow his cover Jason had a pretty refined talent of pissing the man off, so he took in a long drag of air and nodded them away. They entered the office slowly, both in calculated steps postponing the next moments and by the time the door was shut behind them, their acts had been fully dropped leaving them to stares and scowls but none dared to say the first word. Bruce took the opportunity to scan the room in between the rounds of their staring contest, nice and clean glassy furniture made everything shine white, grey and blue contrasting with both Jason's black and red outfits and his darkened posture, his eyes followed a regal tang fish into an artificial cave inside the giant aquarium wall to his right, he let out a muffled chuckle and turned back to face Jason who narrowed his eyes to him.

 

"So," Bruce let the sound of his voice fill the air for several seconds as he sat down on the light grey leather armchair putting aside his untouched champagne glass. "This is the new stunt you've been pulling out." He stated what might have been a question vaguely moving his hands around.

 

Jason leaned against his icy glass desk without taking his eyes off of Bruce and grimaced, his gestures had no ease at all and he knew that the man took pleasure in seeing that but still he would dance to that music Bruce was about to play, so he forced his lips to quirk up and shuddered shoulders at the man.

 

"You know Jason I am trying to make things work with you, I really am." The man finally started his lecture with a mildly stern tone. "I try to give you some space so you can play your little games but you always have to turn and break the rules, a crime Lord, then the Joker, The Outlaws, Penguin, Mexico and now this," he shook his head slowly in disappointment, "I'm going to find out what you're planning this time and don't expect me to go easy on you when I do, whatever you are up to isn't going to work." Bruce affirmed vehemently to the cynical grin on Jason's face.

 

"Oh my bad! I'm sorry, did I disrespect _your_ rules?" Jason asked sarcastically intendedly suppressing laughs. "So, what are you gonna do about it? Are you gonna beat the shit out of me again? Is that what you came here for? To spank a naughty boy that didn't behave as his daddy told so? That boy is kinda dead if I remember correctly." He brought a hand to his forehead and let out the laugh he’d been holding.

 

"You think I'm joking!?" Bruce exclaimed and suddenly got up.

 

Jason paused his laughing to appreciate whatever it was that awakened the rage in Bruce's oh so controlled being, so he resumed his cynical cackling with some extra pinch of acid. The man didn't wait for him to open his mouth again as he towered over Jason and grabbed him by the collar of his nice shirt and shook him while growling.

 

"Already losing your cool ol'man?" Jason didn't seem to be bothered by being half an inch off of the ground as he rose both hands a little in defense and looked directly into Bruce deep blue eyes.

 

And then he saw it, the desperation, the grief, the loneliness, the _pain_ , in those pure blue irises, Jason tried to look past it but he just couldn't, he thought about Selina and the child she was hiding, he thought about Dick, damn he thought about Damian in the middle of it all. Now it felt like his body weighed an extra two hundred pounds, he straightened his face, took his eyes off of Bruce's and pushed him away so he was no longer being held.

 

"There's nothing here for you Bruce." Jason said in a more serious tone. "Go take care of your real son." The intended snap came out with no fire fueled emotions.

 

"Dick is doing just fine." The answer came automatically.

 

Jason swallowed a dry breath and that did nothing to hide lump forming in his throat, he asked himself how the man didn't even had to think about it, Dick was and would always be the first in Bruce's mind, then he thought that maybe Selina had a reason to go away, Damian had a reason to go away but Dick was just as strong of a reason for the boy to stay, _Jason_ himself had more than enough reasons to go away.

 

"I think you should leave Bruce." Jason dropped his voice several volumes and sounded haunted by his own thoughts.

 

"Or _you_ should leave Jason." Bruce replied but already turning and walking to the door, he took one last painful glance at him. "Maybe you shouldn't have come back at all."

 

The words stung harder in Jason's chest than he'd be able to admit, he pondered for a long time what they meant, at some point he wasn't sure anymore if it was about Mexico, if it was about his world ride, or even… from the other side. He pictured Bruce taking his leave, over and over again, his too big square back distancing itself out of the door frame, it was just like watching Willis leaving the old crappy apartment he used to live in with Catherine, two men so different from each other in so many ways, yet so equal in their obsession for control, so violent to get it, and none of it ever brought anything good to Jason, but both, in their own unique ways, brought him family and right now he didn't know how to feel about that. _Did Bruce even know about Ma Gun? Had he known when he sent him to her?_ His brain traveled so far that he asked himself, he would find out and with Penguin's money to help of course. Jason shook those thoughts away and stared at the aquarium for a second, two fishes swam together the bigger one had it's flippers damaged for some reason and the smaller tried to support the other clearly hurting itself in the process, so he thought about Dick and Damian, Bruce said that Dick was fine and Jason had gathered from Alfred that he was actually having a good recovery, for someone who's been shot in the head at least, and Damian would keep on by his side, Jason couldn't question him Dick was the only thing he knew of love, of caring, of _family…_ something that Damian had never truly had. Jason had witnessed it even though none of it was clear in his mind, he could recall the green pit blurs and the flashes of that small boy scared of his own swords turning into a killing machine, Jason had to close his eyes and take in a deep breath those mad flashbacks messed with his head the unconnected thinking, the too many thoughts whirling inside his head, he took in one slow breath after another, controlling his heartbeat, his blood pressure, the pit wouldn't take over him, no, not again, no.

 

Late night was far into its hours when a single interrupted knock and some loud talking outside the door pulled him out of his lethargy, the brunette woman barged in stating to whoever was outside that she didn't need to be announced and for the second time that night Jason had an unexpected visitor. He recomposed himself just when the door was shut and there, in the center of the room, right in front of him, stood Selina in her dark blue jeans, grey top and black leather jacket matching the high heel ankle boots, her fierce looks and attitude displayed nothing near a pregnant person who just had an undone wedding and lost their best friend, yet there she was staring at him with those deep emerald eyes like a cat pouncing on its prey.

 

"Oh hello Jason, good evening." After a while she greeted him casually with a mischievous smile tugging both corners of her lips.

 

"A little late for 'good evenings', don't you think?" He objected not quite acting as much as he did hours before to his first guest.

 

"You know I don't exactly follow these type of rules." She replied taking the very same seat Bruce had taken earlier that night, she spread her arms across the low backrest making herself at home.

 

"Yeah right, what do you want Selina?" Jason inquired already tired of the small talk.

 

"Oh, okay then." She repositioning herself in the armchair but still owning every bit of her surroundings. "Doctor Leslie Thompkins." Selina stated, her face shaping into serious features. "She's the only doctor in Gotham who knows about ' _us'_ ," She air quoted that last word, "and can be trusted." She completed. "I want you to arrange a meeting with her, for me." Selina explained clicking her tongue at the end to hide an anxious gulp.

 

Jason almost snorted, it would be comical if it wasn't so tragic, he knew very well where this was heading and the reason of it all, but he still couldn't quite understand his part in this drama.

 

"I'm sure you know Leslie as well, why ask me to mediate?" Jason crossed his arms leaning back against his desk once again that night.

 

"I need discretion and also to make sure certain people do not know of this appointment." She said breaking eye contact and nervously biting the insides of her cheeks, however she didn't answer his question. "Bruce, he can't know of this, Leslie and Bruce are close, but you are closer to her than he is. I know her medical morals are high and if she does it as in if she's doing it for you, then I am assured he'll never know." She clarified raising her nose in the air a bit.

 

"And what makes you think I won't tell Bruce myself?" Jason tested with a side smirk.

 

"You won't." She delivered confidently. "You and Bruce, uh- well let's say you're not in the same page right now." She shook her head slightly with a mocking expression. "You're getting to be ahead of him in information, that's some good advantage for unexpected times, besides I'll owe you a favor." She bargained matching Jason's smirk.

 

This time Jason didn't repress the pleased snort wondering if she had any idea of how ahead in this game he already was. "It's your lucky day then, Lee and the big guy haven't been best buddies lately." He informed her shrugging shoulders. "And I'll make sure talk to Leslie so she can contact you and you guys can set up your appointment." At this point she was already standing up to write her phone number on a notepad to him. "Anything else I can do for you babe?" Jason provoked wiggling his eyebrows and she chuckled.

 

"Thank you Jason." Was the only thing she said in reply as she handed him the paper with her number.

 

"Anytime." Jason nodded to her and she made her way to door, and just a second before she turned the doorknob… "uh- Selina," he called her but she didn't turn to face him. "I'd do the same, Bruce has messed too many of us already, maybe it's for the best not letting him close to your child." From the back he could see her body shaking giving away the truth. "Hey, maybe you and Talia can even start a club together." He tried to lighten up the tension but the woman just walked away without any other word.

 

Jason rubbed a hand through his face tiredly, he glanced at his watch, dawn was about to break in couple of hours and he figured Lee would be ending her night shift so he decided to call her right away, it wasn't a long talk and she was very inclined towards attending his request. A yawn escaped his mouth after he hung up, he leaned against his massive comfortable chair but something bothered his neck so he went to scratch it, the move brought his hand to grab a tiny object, the size of small pill, at first he thought it was a bug or something like that but when he saw the blinking green light his eyes widened.

 

_Damnit Bruce!!!_

 

Jason leaning against his icy glass desk. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thx for reading I really hope your liking the story and reviews are always appreciated.


	10. Childmonster Part 04

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the manor Dick wakes up and Damian has a breakdown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I'm still alive...
> 
> I'm not even gonna say anything, just sorry for this.

It didn't feel real, on one day Dick was saving Bludhaven and helping the Justice League stop the next apocalypse and on the other he got a bullet through his head and layed there flat motionless with all kinds of wires tied to him, now there was nothing Damian could do but sit there beside him and wait. Days went by and Damian was still there waiting, Pennyworth had said he was going to be just fine, he came over several times a day to check on Dick and see if the boy needed anything, Bruce was another story he stayed the days sitting there like a rock staring at the rise and fall of Dick's chest and the green lines on the small screen, usually Damian was allowed to stay but not for too long until the man asked him to do something else and he would reluctantly obey. The nights were different, his father was out and he could stay there without anything bothering him and tonight Bruce went out even earlier, not as the Bat but nicely suited for a party Damian assumed or some romantic extravagant dinner with a brainless woman, that didn’t matter what mattered was that he got more time to stay with Dick, Damian grabbed his hand to rub when a subtle stir made him pull it back immediately. 

 

"Dami?" Dick's voice came out hoarse and his eyes were barely open but he could feel the watchful aura over him. 

 

Damian widened his eyes as he heard his name called out from the bed and a couple hurried breaths later he recomposed himself to answer, "Richard, you shouldn't talk, Pennyworth says you shall not make the tiniest effort." The boy informs gulping his own words at the end, his hands fidgeting on his lap, his legs dangling unable to touch the ground from where he sat at the tall armchair beside the bed.

 

Dick then slowly reached out a hand drawn by IV lines and wrapped it around Damian's smaller one calming his nervousness, he didn't say anything, but locked his still shallow eyes with Damian's until their gazes deepened and their breathing matched, a smile haltingly formed in Dick's lips and his wrapped hands became squeezing ones. It was moments like this that made Damian's mind trip over its own knowledge and learn that despite all the hurt and the pain, the bad and the cruelty in the world that Dick would always find a reason to smile and every time he did Damian's heart softened a little bit, and bit by bit it was becoming lighter and brighter to this point in life of bringing Damian to quirk his lips up and respond to Dick's please, so they closed their eyes and there they stayed, in silence, feeling each other breathe. The door cracked open and then the sudden heavy energy filled the air making the serenity once in it vanish away instantly.

 

"Father." Damian greeted emotionlessly slightly bowing his head down to the man that entered the room.

 

"Damian, you shouldn't be here." Bruce said flickering his cold eyes from the boy to the bed. "Dick needs to rest." 

 

"No," Dick sorely called from the bed. "Dami can stay." He said opening his eyes again startling Bruce for one millisecond.

 

And Damian looked between them, between Dick's faint smile and Bruce's slow warming expression and suddenly there was no place for him there, the welcoming calm aura had disappeared and Damian felt like he'd suffocate at any moment if he stayed longer, his gaze uselessly scanned the dark hardwood floors until he picked himself up again to speak.

 

"No, I must go." Damian finally said. "Titus and Alfred are in need of food." He offered as a reason already standing and heading out of the room leaving both his mentors staring to his back as he softly closed the door.

 

Damian walked across the hallway through the west wing, he looked at the art pieces, at the portraits, the framed pictures, it all held legacies, memories and sentiments beyond anything Damian could imagine. Most of those people he had never even gotten to meet and the ones he knew now awakened in him a sour feeling of jealousy, jealousy of the simple things he would never had, of the things he would never be. 

 

Damian stumbled upon a vase on his way and as he straightened himself up again he faced a young Dick portrait, the boy in the picture stood on the top of a podium with a gold Gotham Academy medal hanging from his neck, his blue irises shining out of the thin line of his eyes squeezed by a enormous wide smile, Damian didn't know why he clicked his tongue at it but that easy going smile that usually tranquilized him now set him off, the corner of his eyes twitched unstoppably. In the next frame there was another young boy, Todd lousily relaxed against a massive velvet chair in the library, a hardcover copy of Pride and Prejudice in his hands, a side smile and narrowed eyes glancing the camera like he owned the whole place effortlessly, Damian snarled, his bottom lip started trembling and he looked away in despise. Needless to think the following photo was one of Drake, he was sitting at Bruce's desk at Wayne Enterprises typing on the computer but still giving the camera a smug smile, the picture was clearly from before he even got to occupy a position in the company and yet it was like he wasn't meant to be anywhere else, by now Damian's fists were clenching to the point his knuckles turned red. The next one was of course himself standing on the great hall, nose in the air, clothes copying Bruce's, now that he looked at it he realized how generic it was, like it could be anyone else, in anywhere else, like it was empty of character, empty of everything and soon there'd be another picture on the wall, full of personality, ready to take his place.

 

An uncontrollable stir took over Damian and he brought his fist with all of his force onto the frame breaking the thin glass, the thing immediately fell to the ground shattering what was left of it, blood dripped from Damian's hand tainting the photo, in the spur of the moment it all only urged him to keep on destroying his and all of his brothers pictures, scattering them to the ground with punches between muffled snarls and screams. At some point he stopped, his eyes watered but not a single tear was dropped, unlike the blood that now covered both of his fists and streamed down through his fingers sore with the deep cuts, his knuckles already beyond simple scratches, his raven thick hair stuck to his forehead with the sweat. Damian bowed his head down and stared at the mess on the floor, he gritted his teeth, he felt ashamed, distantly steps approached and a sudden nervousness filled him, in a rush he started to try and clean everything, throwing broken glass and frames into the old vase, the sound of the steps seemed to turn around a corner and finally faded away and Damian sighed in relief gazing to the poorly cleaned hall and the now empty spots on the wall. 

 

Looking to the sides, Damian knew he couldn't stay there anymore, sooner or later someone would find what he'd done and he only wished it wasn't his father and that they were busy enough so it would take a long time for them to pay attention to this minor slip of behavior. Damian started walking again, fast, making one turn after another until he got to one of smaller entrances to the cave and made it to the den, some voices called pulled him to the big screen of the batcomputer.

 

In the screen, the lines of a voice recorder ran making leveled waves, from what he heard Damian could recognize Todd's edgy manners of speaking along with the grave tones he used, the other one was a female smoky voice, almost musical one would say, and yet Damian flinched at its sound, he sat down at the metal chair and played the buttons to make their words clearer. Kyle and Todd talked about doctor Leslie and about Bruce between provocations and bribes, and he was there listening in on their conversation. Kyle had been gone for awhile after the wedding disaster and Holly's death and now she was there talking with Todd, who had just invited Damian to go there, probably just to hand him over to her, now that she was expecting Bruce Wayne's child she might as well get rid of him. Damian found himself so caught up in the conversation that he did not noticed his father coming down the cave.

 

"Damian?!" Bruce shouted marching towards the boy, Damian jumped on the chair swallowing various lumps of air down in a row. "What are you doing here?!" The man demanded eyeing his dry blood fists which Damian rapidly tried to hide behind his back. 

 

"Father… I-" Damian started staring at the angry veins about to explode in Bruce's neck and forehead, Todd and Kyle's voices still playing on the background. 

 

"Get. Out. Of. Here." His father said pausedly glancing at the screen and Damian froze at the malevolent tone. "NOW!" The man shouted and pointed to the exit, Damian lost no time and ran up the stairs leaving his father to growl at the computer as he replayed everything that the own Damian had just heard.

 

 

Damian staring to the batcomputer while listening to Jason and Selina talking.


	11. Thievery Poem

_ it is shiny  _

_ all of it  _

_ it is blinding  _

_ brightly lit  _

 

_ fascination _

_ dancing slowly through flickering eyes _

_ obsession _

_ deceiving the fools on the roll of dice _

 

_ and it is shiny  _

_ all of it  _

_ it is blinding  _

_ brightly lit _

 

_ my my my  _

_ a breath is taken, something is gone _

_ none will lie _

_ it’s been missed, there’s robbery done _

 

_ it is shiny  _

_ all of it  _

_ it is blinding  _

_ brightly lit _

 

_ mine what’s mine  _

_ the affordable sweet freedom  _

_ trapped to the shine _

_ inmate inside a mind kingdom _

 

_ it is shiny  _

_ all of it  _

_ it is blinding  _

_ brightly lit _

 

_ nothingness _

_ mean the belongings of one _

_ the shiniest _

_ has been stolen from the thief  _

_ it was shiny but it was no stone _


	12. Thievery Part 01

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina recalls the past and meets Leslie later on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello can't even believe I finished this in time.
> 
> So here we have some Selina working out some things that happened to her in the past and goes to Leslie to figure it all out.  
> Also I've learned a lot about antigens and antibodies cells and it all is just crazy medical stuff that I needed to include so this plot could make sense. And if any of you are a health professional and find any mistakes in this chapter please let me know, I did a lot of research but I'm no doctor so I can't ever be 100% sure. 
> 
> With all that said I hope you enjoy this chapter and have an awesome weekend.

Selina walked through that narrow corridor for the first time since Holly died, she remembered how Holly had been acting strange long before that night even before Selina and Bruce had… She tried not to squeeze the paper envelope she'd been carrying as she entered the apartment, every part of it was still covered in dust, sitting down on that ripped out couch felt oddly familiar. Selina opened the envelope and stared the pictures of her friend cut open, dissected like an animal on a lab and right then Holly had been nothing more than that. Selina kept on reading the autopsy, the cold letters describing every inch of Holly's anatomy and there on the last page was the verdict, death by suffocation caused by an unknown substance, the final conclusion was that Holly had inhaled some new type of drug and it killed her, it wasn't unlike her to use drugs once in a while and still Selina just couldn't accept it.

 

She replayed that night in her mind for what felt like the thousandth time in the last several weeks, she recalled Holly's face lost and distant yet peaceful, it was like she wasn't even trying to fight for her life,  _ damn _ she wasn't even  _ willing _ to try it. Selina curled up on the old couch and finally let herself shed the tears that were bottled up since then, since way before then, all that had happened, now none of it seemed worth anything, her grown hair stuck wet to her face. At some point Selina realized she was holding her belly, just like Holly did that night, a sudden memory hit her like a blast of light hitting darkness and turning the unseeable into pure neat clarity, so Selina understood, she understood what Holly's last words meant and there Selina was, thirteen years ago…

 

_ Selina didn't know how long she had been sitting on the couch elbows pushing against her knees anxiously, her face mirrored by the green glass of the old TV, she looked down at the coffee table but she wouldn't dare to keep her eyes on it for more than five seconds, the few sticks laying randomly across the rusted wood, each of them showing two stripes on that tiny screen, she couldn't stop thinking of what Bruce would do if he knew… she was criminal and as much as they liked each other Selina couldn't know how he would react, would he be happy? would he think she was trapping him? would he take the child away? she cursed at the pregnancy tests as if the results would change by the verbal violence, they didn't. The door opened and Selina's heart jumped a little and by the time she had the reflexes to rush and hide the tests it was too late, Holly was already beside the table wide eyes locked on the sticks mouth gaping at The Cat at a loss of words, she looked from Selina to the tests and back again to Selina. _

 

_ "Are you keeping it?" was the only thing the blond said after a long while.  _

 

_ "Yes," Selina's shaky voice echoed, "I am." She finished almost out of breath.  _

 

_ "Are you going to…" Holly's voice failed, "you and him... are you telling  _ him _?"  _

 

_ "I don't know…" Selina looked up to her friend pursing her lips. _

 

_ Holly came down and embraced her, Selina could feel her gulping, still letting out cold smokes as she breathed against the brunette's shoulder.  _

 

_ Weeks after Selina stared at the same table looking at the lab papers, all of the bloodworks came negative for beta hCG, which meant Selina wasn't pregnant, she didn't know what was happening she still looked at the drugstore tests and she just didn't understand… Holly suggested a miscarriage, the doctor reinforced it over the phone or maybe the pharmacy tests had been wrong and she should trust the bloodwork and Holly was there for her happily picking the broken pieces Selina had just started to build. Not long after both of them decided to shut down any talk that led to the subject, they were the only ones who knew and no one else ever would. _

 

It was so clear to Selina now, what Holly was talking about, but what did she mean by  _ alive _ ? Selina ran into a drugstore fueled by an energy she didn't have moments ago, she didn't wait to get to a safer place she took the tests right away on a public bathroom and as she waited for the stripes to appear, this time they didn't, it was the confirmation The Cat needed, Holly was talking about  _ that child _ and Selina had no more doubts about it. She needed to get to a doctor, a trustworthy one, things were different now, she couldn't leave any loose ends, she couldn't risk the consequences of anyone else knowing about this, maybe she'd have to compromise but she'd do it right.

 

One night back in Gotham and she could already feel the new adrenaline rushing through her veins and after all that had happened she didn't know where all that came from but she enjoyed it, every single part of it, she was about to find out if  _ her child _ was still alive, or whatever Holly meant, and if she was right Selina wouldn't rest until she found them. After she went to see Jason she prepared herself for what was to come, she knew that now it was just a matter of time till it all blew up over her head but she got to be absolutely sure first and thankfully Jason had been fast enough to make it possible for her to see Leslie in less than a day. The afternoon was about to end when she stopped her bike on the small pastel green coloured place, a sigh of relief left her mouth as she saw the place entirely empty, Leslie was already waiting for her, the door was unlocked but for a moment then her breaths became heavy and she hesitated.

 

Selina entered the clinic.

 

"Doctor Leslie." Selina greeted mildly swallowing a dry breath.

 

"Hello Selina." The older woman offered her a warm smile and led her to a small tidy clean office. "Please take a seat." the doctor invited noticing the stiffness in Selina, who seemed to shrink in the chair before the desk as soon as she sat down. "I heard of what happened to Holly... and about your fall out with Bruce, I'm sorry." Leslie said sincerely. "How are you hanging on?"

 

Unlike any other environment, in this one Selina felt like walking on her toes, it was like the air was being sucked out of her lungs, like the words were stolen from her tongue and slowly all the bravery was drained out until uncertainty was all that was left inside of her.

 

"I… I don't know." Selina answered honestly taking in a deep breath and raising her head. "But that's not why I am here." She locked her keen eyes on the other brunette sitting down herself. 

 

"That much I imagined." Leslie leaned forward a bit with a simpatizing look towards the emotional wall Selina was putting up to keep herself from falling apart. "Jason called me to settle the appointment but didn't say anything other than that you wanted to see me, what brings you here then?"

 

"Leslie…" She hesitated, "is it possible for me to know if I...  if I was ever pregnant?" Selina asked trying to remain wholesome as she saw the astonishment rise in the doctor's expression. "Is there a way for me to know that?" She reinforced. 

 

"No, there isn't a method that can determine if a woman had been pregnant at some point in her life, unless she gave birth so it'd could be identified in her bone structure changes, or if she had an advanced pregnancy in which the body cervix would've also dilated and I don't assume this is your case, right?" Leslie promptly explained watching Selina's face fall a little lost shaking her head and gazing at her fidgety hands.

 

"Years ago I thought I might have been pregnant, so I did some drugstore tests and they turned out positive, but when I did a bloodwork it came out negative, the doctor had said it wasn't an unusual thing to happen and at the time I just chose to accept it…" Selina said already rebuilding herself.

 

"Although…" The doctor interrupted any other word she had to say and Selina's eyes lit up a bit. "There is another way to figure it out but in a very specific scenario-" the younger woman nodded attentively at her, eager for her to continue. "If your blood type rhesus factor happens to be negative and the child's positive, your immune system would respond to the rhesus antigen from the baby and produce rhesus antibodies in response. Those antibodies would remain in your blood and could be detected by an antibody screen test. If your blood type rhesus is negative we can collect a blood sample and run a test." Leslie finished her explanation and got a rather confused expression in response. 

 

"But the blood test back when-," Selina wondered, "I'm Rh A negative, wouldn't it have shown if that was the case?"

 

"Not if it isn't your case and even then, the test had to be done targeting this specific purpose, it would also help if you know the father's rhesus factor which should be positive for that child's to be positive as well and that scenario to be possible"

 

"Is Bruce's blood type rhesus positive?" Selina mumbled the rhetorical question and the doctor gulped down some air. 

 

Silence dragged on for what felt like ages while the two stared at each other, Selina with painful worries and Leslie with troublesome concern.

 

"Then I guess we are in for it, just do it, do the damn test." Selina said half nodding to herself.

 

"Oh- okay I… alright-" Leslie said getting up still wearing unsureness and worry in her eyes, things that no doctor could allow to be seen in front of a patient. 

 

As much as Leslie expected this appointment to be uncommon, she didn't see  _ this _ coming, an unborn child of Bruce and Selina? That was way beyond worrisome, the doctor slightly sighed as she went through the metal drawers and sink counter to grab the needed instruments. The procedure didn't take long, it was common and Leslie didn't feel like asking any other questions, she had learned over the years that the less she knew the less danger she put herself and dozens of her innocents patients in, so she silently drawn the blood and offered Selina another one of her warm but concerned smiles. Selina seemed to regain all of her strength back up, not a glimpse of fear or doubt emanated from the Cat, Leslie didn't know her well but she knew enough, she knew that Catwoman was on the edge of good and bad, of crime and justice and she knew that Bruce loved her and Selina loved him, she knew by the way her eyes twitched as she pronounced his name and the way he little fingers joined her thumbs slowly as she sighed when anything of him was spoken.

 

"I'll analyze it as quickly as possible, by tonight or tomorrow morning we shall have the result." Leslie said as they finished the whole thing, 

 

They were ready to greet their goodbyes when Selina stood up and gripped to Leslie's hand making the doctor turn back around from where she filed the blood sample.

 

"Leslie," Selina leveled her with expectation, "if this comes out positive" a pause followed and the doctor's full attention was on her words "is there any possibility that  _ my _ child is alive?"

 

Leslie breathed in once, then twice and then a third time, why was she surprised anyways?

 

"Uh-," She faltered on her own words displaying her astonishment but quickly regaining her steadiness, "there are several methods to gestate a baby outside of the biological mother's body, most of them are artificial and I am not very familiar with, but I can't tell for sure if-, if your child went through something like this and if they have survived the birth or the afterwards, there are so many variables…" Leslie fixed her eyes into Selina's green ones and she finally understood her role in this after all, she saw the confidence in her and she sympathized with the hope that radiate in those shining eyes. 

 

"You are already sure, aren't you?" The doctor asked squeezing Selina's hand a few times. "You're here only to confirm it, the existence of your baby, but you already know the answer." The smile Leslie gave her then was no different than the ones she gave so many new moms in Gotham General and Selina smiled back just like they all did pressing their eyes closed and nodding gently.

 

Suddenly a dark shadow filled the small white room pulling them both away from their blissful moment and the deep grave voice echoed in their ears.

 

"It is true then." Batman stated. "You're pregnant with my child." He walked over to Selina pulling handcuffs out of his belt. 

 

And she laughed, "wow, you truly are the world's greatest detective huh? I knew you'd find out, didn't think it'd be this soon." Selina joked, nose in the air and body straight with an entire different posture than moments before. "Except… Mister know it all, I'm not pregnant, sounds like you got here late and didn't listen in on the whole convo big guy." She raised her eyebrows tentatively letting yet another laugh out. 

 

That seemed to set Batman off even more as he now stepped soundly towards her gripping strongly to the metal of the cuffs, but Leslie put herself in front of him blocking his way.

 

"Don't you dare use those unnecessarily in my office." She pointed to the cuffs and used a tone that measured up to Alfred's scolding one.

 

"It's alright Leslie," Selina said calmly "I'll go with him." Then she turned to the man and grinned once more. "No cuffs tho."

 

 

Selina Kyle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This sketch isn't really some important part of the chapter but is how I capture Selina's spirit during it so...  
> That's what we get  
> XD


	13. Thievery Part 02

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina and Bruce talk... or almost...

"I left a letter." Selina said.

 

Selina and Batman were past the main entrance and Leslie watched them from the small door of the office, Batman stopped at the words his mouth switching from a flat line to an angry grimace, Selina sighed and moisturized her lips with her tongue while shaking her head, none of this was good and she knew it, she knew that the stiffness in the Bat was beyond the usual, she could feel the tension emanating from him and hovering over the place and for a second she regretted speaking.

 

"And forgot to mention _my child._ " The unexpected answer came, a haunting emphasis on the last two words.

 

With head over her shoulder Selina saw Leslie take one step further with an even more concerned look like on her face, Selina then turned to scan Batman's face and finally nodded for Leslie to back out. 

 

"We better have this conversation elsewhere." Selina suggested raising her eyebrows to the Bat, he swallowed some air down and gave her a small nod.

 

Selina thanked Leslie once again and they followed on their way, the Cat didn't think twice as she went for her bike, but a strong grip on her arm stopped her midstep, before she turned to face him she looked at her surroundings for the batmobile but found no sight of it, perceiving her searchful eyes Batman glanced to an alley a couple lots from the clinic, she watched his eyes through the white lenses and considered it for a few moments. 

 

"I'll meet you at the cave." She said.

 

"No." Was his striking cold reply.

 

"I wasn't asking." Selina declared and pulled her arm from his grip, he grunted and blew air out through his nose soundly staring down at her, she responded with even more intense stare, raised her eyebrows and inflated her chest leaving no room for argument. 

 

The skies were fading into golden colors tainted by grey clouds that insisted on resisting to capture the last rays of sun when Selina's bike roared beside the batmobile as they raced north, on their way several people pointed to the car and the Gothamites' indistinct chatter was silenced by the city noises, none of them seemed to noticed that they were riding together. She didn't remember the distance to the manor being so long, the pit of her stomach twisted anticipating the conversation ahead of her and as she thought about the people on the streets, imagining bringing a child into _Bruce Wayne's_ world, the fuss of the media, the whispers around the city. Selina got so lost in her own thoughts driving on auto mode the she didn't even notice that they had reached the northeast bridge she looked behind her, the city was now only dark shades of tall buildings and skyscrapers contrasting with the orange sky, to her front and around her giant properties with mansions and chateaus from afar peeking out of trees and great gardens. Batman went ahead of her leading to one of the cave's secret pathways never getting too far to ensure she wouldn't get away, Selina followed him to the waterfall entrance a few miles west from the manor building, they entered and parked sharing wary glances and so they walked side by side in silence. Still several feet from the batcomputer Batman stopped and so did she, the massive metal chair spined and there sat Red Hood fully dressed expect for the helmet, he filled the seat like it was his own and wore that infamous sassy side grin on his face, the gun he held wiggling in his hand like an extension of it as if inviting them to come closer. 

 

"I really didn't think you'd do it." Selina said to Hood and couldn't contain the small chuckle that left her mouth.

 

"I didn't." He answered raising his free hand his fingers pinned some kind flickering light in the air. "Big Batsy here is behind it." He pointed Batman with his chin. 

 

"Hood, what are you doing here?" Batman demanded marching towards him. 

 

"Oh, me?" He shrugged shoulder "I'm here to return the little toy you forgot at the lounge yesterday." He threw the microlight to Batman who grunted and caught it midair. "And to kick your fucking ass for bugging my place." Hood straightened up scowling and cracked his knuckles soundly, Batman responded twitching his face and walking towards him.

 

"Well, as much as I'd love to watch you two beating each other down, I've got important things to do so if you will allow me." Selina interrupted them taking a seat at the meeting table to their side, they both turned to her narrowing eyes questionably. "You can start your interrogatory now and we can all move on from this whole drama." She rose her eyebrows and sighed tiredly.

 

"Right, pregnant ladies first I guess." Hood said walking away from the computer.

 

"Alright first of all: I am not pregnant, let's start there." Selina stated raising a finger pointedly to both of them.

 

"Oh Imma leave you guys to it." He said giving Batman a single Pat on the back. 

 

"No you'll stay." The man commanded in a gravel voice and pointed to the table. "Sit."

 

"What am I, a dog?" The younger asked irritated.

 

"Oh please." Selina clicked her tongue and massaged her temples. "Let's just get it over with, Jason sit your ass down and Bruce pull out that cowl and turn off that voice changer there's no one here for you to scare." She straightened up on the chair and swung her head to take hair off of her face. 

 

Hissing and grunting both of them sat down. Bruce took off his cowl, and now that Selina could actually look to his face, she could see the few lines he gained in the short time she'd been away, the dark circles around his eyes made their blueness fade opaque, the grey strings on his hair had multiplied, much more than tired, Bruce almost didn't look alive. A brief thought of regret crossed Selina's mind but then she remembered Holly saying how happiness would end Batman because Bruce could never be Batman if he was happy and she was right, no matter how much Selina loved him Gotham needed him, much more than she ever would. She must have taken too long inside her thoughts since Bruce started twitching his nose bothered by the deep emerald gaze analyzing his face, she considered lying for a second, well Cat knew better than that, so she spoke. 

 

"I am not pregnant." She stated again letting her words fill the air with her truth. "Although I have reasons to believe I was… thirteen years ago." Selina continued slowly taking her eyes from Bruce to Jason and then back to Bruce who was ready to open his mouth when she resumed, going exactly where he wanted her to. "With your child, yes." She watched as his face was possessed by pure rage so she breathed in calmly, "that's why I went to Leslie, I wanted to know, to confirm if my suspicions are real, and there is when Jason came into play, I just asked him to arrange my appointment with her, you can let him go now."

 

Bruce snarled silently to her and turned his scowl to Jason, the younger shrugged shoulders a gave the man a single taunting nod in agreement to Selina absenting himself from any words. 

 

"He doesn't leave." Bruce stood up and growled glancing down to his utility belt to the same cuffs he intended on using with Selina hours before. 

 

She caught Bruce's eye sights just as Jason was getting up to fight him. "No." She got up and growled back at Bruce bringing one arm in front of Jason. "You are going to let him go and you won't lay a single finger on him." Selina said locking her gaze with the man. "Don't think I don't know what you did to Jason after I was gone." At that Jason hissed and snarled pushing a little against Selina's arms, so she squeezed his to stop him. "You have a problem with me you solve it with me, you already know all of Jason's part in it, now you leave him alone, because if you are going to try and hit him you are gonna have to hit me first." She dared Bruce and felt Jason's surprise behind her.

 

Bruce furrowed his eyebrows angrily but stepped back, Jason on the other hand closed his fists and cracked his knuckles taken by the same anger, he pushed Selina slightly to open the way but she didn't move, instead she turned around to face him. 

 

"Jason just go, please." She asked him in a much softer tone.

 

Jason looked at her like he was looking at someone else, then he focused on Bruce while pursing his lips nervously trying to decide what to do, he looked back at Selina, who nodded. "If you need _anything_ you know where to find me." He finally said to her and walked out past Bruce as if the man had never been there. 

 

When she couldn't hear the roaring of the motorcycle anymore she breathed in relieved and sat back down. Bruce was still standing there with those tired, angry and sad eyes that broke her down as much as his smile lifted her up, she wanted to go back ask him to have her again in his arms, but they were way past that now more than any other time before. Selina sighed, almost like a cry out of her red lips, Bruce's attention caught by the weak sound, he slowly rounded the table to sit across her and for long dragged minutes none of them said a thing.

 

"Thirteen years ago?" Bruce broke the silence. "Why now? Where are they?" He asked more to himself than any other thing. 

 

"I don't know." She said quietly. 

 

Another round of silence filled the space between them and they looked into each other's eyes drained out of strength.

 

"Do you remember thirteen years ago when you had just gotten back from the Middle East?" Selina smiled, half a chuckle blowing air out of her mouth. "It feels silly to think of us then, we were so reckless on our 'good guy bad guy' games and we healed up our wounds together it was like living in a dream with you, I miss those times…" she recalled with wistful eyes.

 

"Then Freeze tried to take over the city, I found Jason and when I came back for you, you were gone." Bruce completed stoically, dodging her gaze. 

 

"You were away for months, got yourself another kid, I was going insane and thinking I had a baby growing inside of me, I didn't know what the fuck to do." Selina said raising her voice a little bit. "Look, it was few months after you'd gotten back and you had disappeared for weeks when I did the drugstore tests and I- I just- I don't know." She vacillated trying to catch his eyes again. "But then I went to a doctor and the blood tests came out negative and he said I could've lost it or the drugstore tests had been wrong and Holly said it too and I-" her eyes started to water "fuck!" She cursed her emotions back down "I was already talking to them, to my baby, I was already lovi- fuck it-" 

 

"You should have told me right away." His voice sharply cut her, impenetrable to any of her feelings. "And why disinter this story now?"

 

"Holly" Selina let the name hang as she built sentimental walls back up. "She was with me during that whole thing and when she died I was there with her, I was in my penthouse that night, Holly had been distant since our… nevermind, I got a weird call from her and I knew something was off I went looking for her and found her at that old apartment in the East End, when I got there she was-" Selina stopped to rub her face shaking a little, "she was on the floor agonizing and she started talking about my child and saying that they were alive and she kept running her hands over my belly and then she… she died right there in my arms-" she sucked in a breath trying not fall apart as she remembered it. "And I know, I know she wasn't just being crazy she was trying to tell something to me, I know, I even thought I could be pregnant, I did new tests and I'm not, she had to be talking about that child and she said they were alive and I believe her, I do." Selina was rushing through her words now looking down at the the table recalling all the moments over and over again. "After I left you and I had to leave and don't say you don't understand why because you do we… _us_ is just something _we_ can't have, not anymore, and so Holly was the only thing I had, my only family and now she's dead."

 

When she lifted her head back up Bruce was still staring stoically at her with not a hint of feel for all she had said. "You weren't the only person there that night when Holly died." Bruce informed as if ignoring the rest of what she said. "There was someone else in the apartment I just haven't yet found out who."

 

Selina immediately thought of Damian's visit that night but something else crossed her mind, "you've been investigating Holly's death?" She asked offended.

 

"I have evidence that Holly had been working alongside Bane and other Arkham inmates, her death is certainly something unusual, I doubt it was just another case of overdose." He stated calmly offending Selina even further.

 

"You can't be serious, you are disrespecting my best friend and her death and you are making a case out of it." Selina shook her head aghast to the man. "And that doesn't even have anything to do with what we're talking about." 

 

"There is no making up cases Selina, the case is already there and I am just assuring that it will be solved and I will leave no loose ends, now it seems that this child is connected to it somehow." He explained taking no consideration of the fire burning in Selina's eyes. "You will stay here until Leslie has the results of your tests so I can move on with the investigation do more tests on you, find this possible child and eventually bring them to the Manor, if it is confirmed we shall be looking for someone around Damian's age, some months younger, maybe twelve years old, I'll narrow it down until we can get more information on it." Bruce said pointedly to her. 

 

"You are insane." Selina answered disgusted by his words. "Who do you think you are? You can't lock me in here and treat this whole thing as just some other case upon your desk." She twisted her face still not believing this was happening. "I don't even know why I thought we could work this out together, finding our child, instead you want to act like I'm some lab rat and none of this actually matters. You know what? Jason is right when he says you messed up too many kids already and I don't regret for a second not telling you then."

 

"I had the right to know!" Bruce spurt out startling her.

 

"And then what? What would you have done if I had told you? Would you have supported me throughout all of that? Or would just neglect it and leave me like you did Talia? Would you even believe that I was pregnant? Would you look for our kid like you _looked_ for Damian? Would you Bruce?" She shot up at him scorning every question like acid. 

 

And as Bruce opened his mouth to shout back at her, Selina's phone rang on the table, Leslie's name lit up on the screen pulling their attention to it, Bruce signed for her to turn on the speaker as Selina went to pick it up. After the greetings Leslie took a long pause with hard breaths before speaking again. 

  
_"Selina… the tests came out positive for antibodies."_ Despite being somewhat prepared Selina trembled down to the seat processing Leslie's words. _"Selina you have been pregnant."_

 

 

Selina right after Leslie hung up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly didn't like this sketch so much (._.)
> 
> But I hope you guys liked the chapter.


	14. Thievery Part 03

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick leaves the manor and Selina gather allies to help her find her kid.

Dick woke up in the middle of the night, he was still plugged to machines even if he already felt well enough, he looked to the sides and it'd been just like any other night, Damian was there sleeping uncomfortably on the armchair, Dick grimaced at the sight, he sat up slowly careful not to wake the boy, it was night time and Bruce of course was nowhere around, Alfred should probably sleeping or running errands somewhere. Dick breathed in and then out, this whole thing was starting to feel like a prison, he knew Bruce was being overprotective because he was hurt but it was getting out of hand, he was better, there was no need for any more fussing or heart monitor machines or anything else, he needed to get out of here before he snapped at Bruce or Alfred or even worse, at Dami. He then glanced to armchair Damian looked restless even though he was sleeping, Dick paused his eyes on the boys hands, scars covered it, he wondered what had caused them and all of a sudden found himself infuriated remembering Bruce throwing him out of the room the other night with no consideration for the boy at all, he was probably trying to cope and Dick knew very well how hurt and pain were Damian's ways to cope be it done either to others or himself, much like his father. The soft bed felt stiff under his weight, a bitter taste caught his mouth, his face twisted in various grimaces as he looked to the chair, he didn't want to leave Damian alone with Bruce still in this state but he couldn't stay at the manor no more, he'd tried to help B out of it and that didn't end well for neither of them, Dick cursed inside, for he knew his decision was taken.

 

A buzz in the side table drawer caught Dick's attention, it would've been near impossible to hear it if not for the deep silence of the room, he went on and opened the drawer  in there he grabbed the old radio texting device, he smiled at its bulky odd design, it was like he was thirteen all over again. He lit it up, a wonder it still worked and had battery, strangely enough there were also unread messages on its mailbox. 

 

_Bee Gee: Hey Dick, how are you doing?_

_I've heard about what happened._

_Got worried, get well soon._

_Bee Gee: Found this old boy a few days ago_

_Figured I'd send you a message_

_This way Bruce can't track it haha._

_You probably don't even have yours anymore._

_Bee Gee: I keep on debating if I should call you or not._

_I just hope you are better._

_Bee Gee: I miss you._

 

Dick stared at it with a bittersweet smile, the nostalgy and all the mixed feelings upon seeing it left him lightheaded for a few seconds. 

 

_Dee Gee: I miss you too._

_And I still have it too lol._

_Bee Gee: Dick!_

 

Dick didn't expect the immediate reply.

 

_Bee Gee: How are you???_

_Dee Gee: I am… better I guess._

_Thx._

_How are you?_

_Bee Gee: Good, that's great_

_I'm fine too._

_'You still at the Manor?_

_Dee Gee: Yeah, not for long tho_

_Don't think I can stand the smothering any longer._

_Goin back to 'Haven asap._

_Bee Gee: Dick you can't go back there_

_It's not safe._

_The people who shot you knew what they were doing._

_It's too risky._

_Dee Gee: I know_

_But I just can't stay here any longer Babs._

_Bee Gee: Come to my apartment then_

_Just don't risk your life again._

_Dee Gee: You worried 'bout me that much babe?_

_Haha._

_Bee Gee: Jerk_

_Don't make me regret my offer._

_Dee Gee: Nah, You love me._

_Can I go like now?_

_Being serious here._

_Bee Gee: Whenever you want._

_Dee Gee: Thank you Babs._

_For real._

_Bee Gee: See you in a bit Dick._

 

Just as he turned it off and was ready to get up he heard steps outside the room, he lied back down and pretended to be asleep. Alfred entered quietly but Dick felt Damian awaking on the chair beside the bed, they greeted each other and Alfred asked for Damian to fetch some medical equipment for him while he'd get something else. Dick waited for them to be gone before pulling off the wires and getting up, he saw the stack of fresh clothes laying on the bench by the bed and didn't think twice, he shoved it all along with the text radio into an old backpack he found at the closet and quickly dressed himself with some proper clothes. He glanced at the bed and sighed throwing the backpack over his shoulder, with luck he'd be able to avoid Alfred, by this time Bruce must've been out in the city already, so Dick would just say a quick goodbye to Damian, grab his bike at cave and go. 

 

* * *

 

Even though Selina had prepared herself for that, now that she knew it wasn't just a suspicion, that she knew she had a baby and that they could be out there she didn't know what to do. Between Bruce's indifferent cold calls during days she asked herself _where would they be? Were they hungry? Were they cold?_ She stared at the soft rain falling outside the window _What was their name? had they been adopted? Were they living on the streets? Were they hurt somehow?_. Selina found herself going through these questions over and over again for sleepless nights until it hit her, that maybe Bruce was right, maybe this kid had been born into the cruelty of Gotham's villainous world, it was only now that she realized  she was violated, that her child was striped out of her body before she even had a bump. Selina looked around her, the penthouse felt so empty, her eyes watered just like the windows, but this time she'd skip the crying and she'd get it all back even if it cost her own life, she'd get back all that was stolen from her. The phone rang on the side table, Bruce was calling again, she closed her eyes and ignored the call with a sigh, there was another call for her to make, someone else for her to meet, so she suit up and left. 

 

"You actually came." Jason said pursing his lips between a smile and a sad sympathy.

 

"I did, didn't I?" Selina answered with a small chuckle.

 

On the upper terrace of the Lounge they both leaned over the rail staring at Gotham's dark waters slightly waving as they met the ocean. Jason pulled out a cigarette and lit it up waiting for Selina to speak whenever she was ready. She first commented on how beautiful city lights became when they touched the waters, she babbled about this or that nonsense as he patiently listened and by the third cigarette she started on what he knew she was there to talk about and she told him all the story, then there was silence.

 

"We are going to find 'em." He assured her smiling, taking one last drag and letting the smoke out with a long blow. 

 

"Yes we are." She confirmed looking at the cigarette butt in his hand going off against the rail. "You should quit." She said out of the subject.

 

"Yeah, I know. I try, sometimes, mostly not." Jason answered pausedly and gave her a small laugh. "It calms down my anger." He said, so Selina raised her eyebrows and glanced from his almost empty pack to his eyes. "I get angry a lot." And they both laughed. 

 

"I think shooting bad guys is healthier option." She said still laughing. 

 

"Don't let Big B hear you." He pointed. "But hey I agree." 

 

"Thank you Jason." 

 

"No problem." He turned around and walked into his office signing her to come in. "We shouldn't wait to start searching."

 

"And I don't want to." She said hardening her tone. "There's a lot to do and I don't wanna waste any time, I know Bruce has informations that he's certainly hiding from me such as some Gotham's old archives and I plan on stealing it to see what I'm dealing with." 

 

"Hmm" Jason rubbed his chin taking in what she said and nodding. "Look Selina, I don't know how many people you're willing to let in on this but I think Babs could help us look for your child, if there's someone who can find any person in Gotham's files and archives that would her and I trust her." Selina looked at him unsure. "The more info we get on this the better, I wish we had Timbo here right now, he'd be a great asset to our search but anyways if we get the Birds on it we'll have a lot more chances to find this kid and most importantly before Bruce does." 

 

"What makes you think Oracle would work behind Batman's back?" She inquired.

 

"Babs is her own person and she is one of the few people who actually don't give a fuck to B's shit, she's doing her own thing and if she knows it's for a greater good, she won't tell him." Jason offered and Selina nodded.

 

"I guess you're right, but if she doesn't accept I'm making sure she doesn't tell him or anyone about this." Jason gave her a single nod in response. "Also I was thinking of clarifying all of this to Damian, I don't think it is fair to let him out of it, it's his sibling and I want them to get along, all of you."

 

"Then maybe we should tell Dick too, the golden boy would certainly want to help and he can probably be useful there in the manor." Selina agreed with a humming and they kept on discussing the strategies to both find the child and deceive Bruce before he got to them.

 

At last Jason locked eyes with her and nodded, Selina didn't say anything she just embraced him and he, despite being bigger than her, fit into her arms softly corresponding it with the same warmth.

 

* * *

 

Damian came down the stone stairs quietly, careful to not disturb his father, the man had locked himself down in the cave for over a week since the day Todd and Kyle were there for reasons Damian knew really well, but, as opposed to what he assumed, the woman hadn't stayed. On his way to the med bay he took the longer path and passed by the the changing rooms to avoid the batcomputer, he could hear the rapid ticking of his father typing on the keyboards and thankfully he didn't seem to notice Damian. On the med bay he quickly grabbed the items Pennyworth requested to care for Grayson, who was almost entirely recovered by now and Damian knew he should be glad about that but the thought of Richard well enough to leave the manor set him off to say the least. He pushed that thought aside and made his way back with as much caution as he had come.

 

"Damian." His father's grave voice echoed and the boy froze at the bottom of the stairs, he didn't turn around but he felt the man's heavy steps coming closer and his whole body tensed up. "What are you doing here?" 

 

Then he recomposed himself and turned around. "Pennyworth required some supplies to administer Grayson's medicines." He informed showing the items in hands. 

 

"You haven't been patrolling lately." His father observed oddly out of subject and for a moment Damian's eyes lit up in hope for an invitation. "Your hands, where did you get those scars?" The man glanced at his hands and the boy gulped down. 

 

"I hurt them playing with Titus, just some scratches." Damian lied.

 

His father grunted in response and went back to whatever he was doing on the computer. However Damian didn't get to go back upstairs since Richard came down stomping and asking Pennyworth to stop fussing over him, the elder came trailing behind him scolding his actions. Grayson scanned the place stopping his eyes at the parking station, precisely on his bike, now Damian realized he was fully dressed and had a backpack over one shoulder, the boy wasn't the only one who noticed that and Bruce who had barely sat down was getting up again and coming towards them.

 

"Dick, what are you doing? You should be in bed." The man inquired.

 

Dick although looking a bit surprised didn't back down at the stern tone. "I'm cool B, I gotta go though, Babs is waiting for me." He informed sincerely already walking away. 

 

"You aren't going anywhere but your bed Richard." Bruce said firmly stepping in front of the young man. 

 

"Except I am, look Bruce I'm fine, thanks you guys but I really gotta go." Dick's tone was defiant but he manage to keep it down, he knew what Bruce was like when he was obsessing over something.

 

The man grunted and looked down on Dick, that was a bad sign, he didn't try to reason, he didn't try to talk him out of it but he also didn't step away. Dick glanced at Damian from the corner of his eyes, he didn't want to start a fight with Bruce, not in front of the boy, but Bruce didn't seem to care about it. So he took in a deep breath and turned to his brother ignoring the man completely he leaned down looking at the tray in Damian's hands.

 

"I'm fine Dami thanks for taking care of me." He said smiling to those stoic green eyes and Damian only nodded. "Hey I'm going to be with Babs for a while but you can come and stay with us whenever you want and you can call me anytime for whatever you need, 'kay?" The boy nodded again to the gentle tone but Dick noticed how his breathing accelerated a bit so he brought a hand to rub his face. "It's okay." With that he straightened up and walked past Damian towards his bike.

 

"Richard." Bruce said and oh Dick knew that was a warning, almost daring him to disobey and hop on the bike.

 

"Bye Bruce." He answered loudly turning the thing on and driving away.

 

Damian watched in silence his brother distancing himself and the various shades of anger displaying on his father's face as he did so. He then set the tray aside to get back to the house and for once Damian took his look away to the computer big screen seeing the new child file, because of course that was what he'd been working on so fiercely, he swallowed down on nothing and vanished from the cave.

 

* * *

 

 

"You came." Barbara wheeled to the side of the door to let Dick in.

 

"Like I could deny such a heartfelt request." He teased her chuckling.

 

They settled down in the kitchen after Dick had dropped his things on her spare bedroom and she had ordered some pizza. They talked about and shared memories the weird devices and trends of their early teenage years, no jobs, no capes, no drama, just the two of them having a normal nice late night conversation, it felt like yesterday since they were together, it felt like they'd never stopped talking or seeing each other, it felt good, for both of them. Barbara was in the middle of a laugh when the doorbell rang and they glanced at the door.

 

"I'll go get it." Dick said jumping up and going to the main door. "Thank goodness this guys were fast, I'm starving for this pepperoni pi-" His voice cut off mid sentence when he saw no delivery guy at the door.

 

Barbara wheeled over to him and finally saw the reason of it, there in the hallway stood Jason and Selina.

 

It took several moments of a dreading silence between the four of them until they were finally inside the apartment and gathered around the kitchen table, the food had come and been forgotten. Dick and Barbara gagged on their words after Selina and Jason were done explaining why they were there, Dick couldn't stop himself from shaking his head over and over trying to take in this _new kid_ and the fact that Bruce haven't told him a single word about it. By dawn Barbara was staring into the begging eyes of Selina, that deep emerald green that held so much strength and determination as well as pain and sorrow. 

 

"So you are asking us to go behind Bruce's back to find a kid that we don't even know if is alive?" Barbara's tone was serious and her eyes were daring. "I'm in." She stated with a mischievous smile. "To be honest, I think Bruce is in the right direction, I'd say we have to solve Holly's death to find this child. I'm sorry Selina but this is Gotham, there's gotta be more to her death than we are seeing right now."

 

"Oracle, Babs, thank you so much." Selina said reaching her hands across the table to squeeze Barbara's. 

 

"Guys I am thinking," Jason spoke with a hand under his chin "Selina said earlier and I agree, Bruce has a lot of the work work done, it would save us some hella time if we could just borrow it all to join with our work." Selina was already looking at him ready to step in but he continued. "Now he's got his guards up it won't be that easy to do that without him knowing but I have an idea. I will throw a party." The other three looked at him like he was some type of loco. "I will throw a party at the Lounge and will invite all of Gotham's high society except Bruce, I am sure he'll be the first to come and you Selina will be there too, meanwhile Dick and Babs can steal the info we need from the bat computer, Alfred and Damian won't find it strange you guys coming into the manor and with Bruce out nobody will know we did it and we won't have to deal with the bat butting in on our business." He explained lighting up thoughtful expressions in all of their faces. 

 

"That's it guys, I guess we are on a mission." Babs said and they all nodded conspiring.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretend this drawing don't exist. (°-°)  
> Hope you liked the chapter and have an awesome week.


	15. Thievery Part 04

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce has been working himself to death and Alfred doesn't appreciate it, that makes Bruce get out of the cave and almost find the mess Damian caused on the family pictures in chapter 'Childmonster Part 04'. 
> 
> Talia sees a headline about the party Jason's going to throw and ivites hersel and her servant Nasrin to go. 
> 
> Damian has an idea to bring Bruce back to normal again and there's some digging in Holly's death involved. (Holly died in chapter 'Childmonster Part 01'.
> 
> The party starts and there's shade being thrown all over the place. 
> 
> Ras Al Ghul and Bane make it into the story with plans to destroy Batman.  
> This part retakes a few previous chapters Jason and Dick wonder about where their brother Tim is, and on chapter 'Sandstorm Part 03' we've had Ras stop at the door of his prison to check on it where he's hiding someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys I'm late again as per usual, I'm sorry. 
> 
> Okay so I've had this interesting comment on last chapter from [ Ima_reader_not_a_writer ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ima_reader_not_a_writer) suggesting that I do kind of a recap on the chapters' summaries when I post each chapter and since sometimes I mention or do retakes on this or that detail from previous chapters I think it would help those of you who have forgotten a certain scene or dialogue to remember without having to go back and reread the whole thing to try and find it. I'm still not sure how I'm gonna do it (I'm bad at summaries) but let's see how it goes. 
> 
> Without any more rambling I hope you like this chapter and have a good read. =D

Down in the batcave, the computer screen lights started to hurt Bruce's eyes, now that he didn't have Dick upstairs to check on, it had been too long since he even set his feet up in the manor. His eyelids were trembling, the eyebags lines paired with the ones in between his eyebrows, his fingers were shaking as they rounded his mug handle to find it empty of coffee. Bruce knew it wouldn't be long until the numbers and letters on the screen started to mix with the pictures if he didn't boost himself up with some more caffeine, he stood and walked over to the coffee station, only to find Alfred standing a few feet in front of it we his chin up and stern eyes firing at Bruce.

 

"Alfred?" He inquired taking one step forward but the butler didn't move a single inch.

 

"Master Bruce, you are in need of a shower and a proper breakfast in order to maintain at least your body in a decent state."

 

Bruce twisted his face at the all too stoic tone knowing what that meant. "Alright just bring it down here and I'll-"

 

"Breakfast is served in the kitchen sir, I expect you there in twenty minutes." The elder eyes him pointedly and turned to walk to stairs. "And Master Bruce mind to leave the coffee mug down here you won't need it upstairs."

 

Bruce swallowed with a hint of bitterness on the extension of his tongue, he set away his mug and went to the showers. The cold water hit his skin like thousands of needles calling him out on his failures and this kid was just another one to that count, but he would find them, he would give them the best, he would make it up to them. He left the showers and as he walked through the manor making his way to the kitchen he passed by the hallway the recent family pictures, and though he didn't get Bruce started to imagine how his child would fit on that wall, asked himself why…  _ Why hadn't they been here the whole time? Why couldn't I have them, any of them in my life the whole time? Where are they now? Where they actually alive and well?  _ There were still so many questions to be asked, question that in time he expected, he hoped would be answered. At some point Bruce found himself at the kitchen door, he saw Damian at the table and as the boy's eyes crossed with his he quickly took his last bites of whatever he was eating and vanished from the place as if he'd never been there. Bruce then entered the place and took the spot Alfred had just finished preparing for him at the table, without a word he started on his eggs while the TV played on the background. Halfway through his plate, a name said on the TV made him look up to stare at it, the reporter talked with excitement about Gotham's event of the year, hosted by Jason Todd, the party list of guests went from Elliots and Crownes to renowned artists, actresses and models, even crime related names were mentioned by the reporter, by the end of the clip Bruce could swear a vein was about to pop on his forehead, he balled his fist and slightly slammed the table, swallowed a breath and turned his face to Alfred who was minding something else by the countertops. 

 

"Alfred." He called. "I'll need my tuxedo ready for tonight."

 

* * *

 

She ran her fingers delicately over the petals of the Blue Poppy bouquet sticking out of the gold embellished vase, much like the luxurious apartment decoration, the flowers Bane had sent her fit into place beautifully. Talia smiled thinking on how useful Bane had been to her in breaking down Bruce's relationship, she could see that he was doing this to get her attention and well she wouldn't turn him down just yet even if she wanted a little less than nothing with him.

 

Talia walked over to the terrace and grabbed the daily newspaper from the side table, she sat down gracefully, her satin robe dropping from her skin onto the velvet chaise. It wasn't long until she let out a pleasure laugh as she read the headline about  _ Jason Todd's  _ party, the new Gotham darling was out and about throwing the giant event to rub it in Gotham's society face. Certainly Bruce would be there and probably Selina and Talia wouldn't miss out on that for any reason in the world.

 

"Nasrin." Talia called from the chaise where she could see Gotham grey morning glowing out the window. "Prepare us the finest dresses. We have a party to attend." 

 

* * *

 

The sun set out of Damian's windows, he lied on the floor with his sketchbook opened, Titus snored on the corner over a pillow with Alfred The Cat curled on his stomach, in the sketchbook their image filled the last blank page of the paper. Alfred stirred in his slumber and Titus promptly rounded a paw over him to hug him closer until both were in deep sleep again. Damian watched on the scene, he couldn't just figure how two creatures so different were able to create such a bond, without any precedent, Damian just brought them together and that was it, Titus took him in like and Alfred got along with him just like they were meant to be together, just like they were…  _ Brothers _ .

 

Damian knew what to do.

 

Outside his door Damian heard the dress shoes' steps pacing on the hallway, from the chatter between Pennyworth and his father there was an event he wasn't aware of. It was the perfect opportunity, Damian gathered his tools, he went through the closet but decided the black outfit would stay home this time, Robin was going to be out tonight. Once there was no sign his father was still home he got down to the cave and started on the computers, he would need all the information he could gather, but most importantly he should have Father and Kyle's DNA ready for a test, he also needed the information on every kid kid born in Gotham in the same year he was born, and to close it Robinson knew where this kid was so that's where Robin needed to start. 

 

Damian finished copying the data to his portable computer, suited up and grabbed the bike and raced to the tunnels. Maybe if he found them, if he brought them back home, maybe things would be better, father would get better, everyone could be back to normal again and maybe just maybe they could get along, they could be friends, like Titus and Alfred. 

 

By the time he stopped wondering, his first stop was already in order, it was night, so most of the GCPD officers were out on the city it would be easier to get in and out without anybody noticing him. Just as he assumed there were very few people in there when he passed through the vents and got down at the medical side of the station, the doctor was concentrated on a body while Robin avoided a couple of cameras to get into the file room. He took a short search for the Robinson name until he finally found not only the files of her death which he already had but also the samples of the substance found on her body that supposedly caused her death, it was still untouched, it hadn't yet been analyzed he guessed. Robin got out to the roof without any problem and made a mental note send a message to commissioner Gordon to increase the security on the police station. 

 

When he settled on the gargoyle to take a better look at the samples he got stunned to be touching the black dust, he didn't even need the computer analysis to know where it came from. For this dust was no drug recognized it from the caverns under Kadhym, from the stories his mother told him about the sand shifters, he had never met a sand shifter, to him those were just stories and this sand was just black sand. But the hologram light on his pulse told otherwise this sand had unknown properties beyond chemical or biological elements, in a batdevice that meant magic, and that meant his mother stories were real and if they were she was involved in this death. Robin went back on the Batman archives that attached Holly to bane and other Arkham inmates and if those were also true Bane and his mother might not only have involvement in Robinson's death but in the disappearing of this child, because what other reason would anyone kill her when she was revealing them to Selina. Damian gulped  down dryly, this kid, his brother or sister could be trapped in the desert they were most likely trapped in the desert and he was going after them and find them or whatever happened to them and his answers were in the Middle East.

  
  


* * *

  
  


It was blinding, all of it, if it was any other night Selina would be beaming by the fun of taking all the stones that shone from snob ladies' necks, the metals that glowed from conspicuous men's wrists and all of the other accessories attached to their bodies. However the Cat resigned to walk between them, smile and greet them like she had always been one of them, once in a while she would glance to the entrance area to check the arrivers and cross eyes with Jason who'd been doing just the same. Most of the guest were already in when Bruce Wayne finally appeared on the doorway, posing for the flashes, talking to reporters and waving to people in the back, his notorious fake smile was there for the show shining brighter than any of the stones that night, Selina repressed a deep sigh by squeezing her eyes together as a hand landed on her shoulder. 

 

"It's time to get Dick and Babs into action." Jason's serious voice informed her. 

 

"Yes, let's tell them they can start." She answered without turning to him.

 

Jason pressed the comn in his ear. "That's your cue guys, B is here." He stated already putting on a smile as he saw the man walking over to them.

 

Selina didn't stay behind with her red lips curving up and her fierce eyes shining their green all over the room. Although Bruce didn't seem surprised to see Selina there, she could see the imperceptible twist that took over his face when he looked at her as if all her pain was just a spect of nothingness she smiled at the ground throwing her head to the side as he made his final steps to greet her, kissing her cheek gently and she did the very same. Onto the last words of Bruce and Jason's exchange of falsities Vicky Vale showed up on their side with microphone in hand and a cameraman by her side already talking loudly to three, pretending an intimacy none of them had with her, she then started firing questions without going through the small talk. Midway through her words she stopped, in fact every single person in the room stopped to face the entrance the chatter died and all eyes were focused on the woman standing there, her satin green dress hugged he tan curves as she walked into the place, another woman trailed after her keeping just enough distance to let Talia Al Ghul own every part of the air around her. 

 

"Good evening Talia, what a surprise seeing you in Gotham again." Vicky said shoving the mic forwards, the camera turning to Talia as she approached the group. 

 

"Oh good evening Ms. Vale, it's good to be back in here again." She answered as if her voice was descending from the clouds. 

 

"That's wonderful and what brings you here on this lovely night?" The reporter asked.

 

Talia then took a second to look at Bruce, Selina and Jason's faces, behind the smiles and nice clothes she could feel they tensing up every time she spoke. 

 

"Well you see, this time around I'm here to prestigiate Gotham's new business success Jason." She smiled and for hug with Jason. "Back after his accident passed and a lot of things were still unsolved, he was my ward for a while and stayed under my guidance until he was fully recovered and ready to come back to the land of living." She joked and squeezed Jason's arm who smiled nervously to the camera. 

 

Vicky grinned mischievously as if she was going to get the story of the year from the Wayne family dramas. 

 

"You know, children always makes us come back for them after all, they become sacred in our lives for some reason." Talia kept talking putting them on their toes as she dragged a waiter to grab champagne glasses for them all. "I'd like to propose a toast," she said handing Bruce and Selina a couple of glasses, while the other grabbed drinks for themselves. "For our children!" She raised her glass and the all followed, the corner of her ambar eyes could feel Selina's soul tumbling down as their glasses clicked together so she said it again. 

 

"For our children."

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

In the sands of the East, Bane knelt down before the throne in the chamber of Ras Al Ghul's palace, the man analyzed him and waited an awfully long time to order Bane up to his feet. 

 

"You've done well Bane, your plan to make the detective be happy to break him down is remarkable, yet the bat is still standing. The bullet through the acrobat's head has failed, if you plan to recruit the resurrected I'd advise not to, he might become threat and I have already gotten the other detective in my possession." Ras stated. 

 

"And the boy?" Bane asked.

 

"The boy won't be a problem to us, I have complete control of him, whenever I desire to." Ras chuckled pressing a controller ok in his hand to display a holographic image of a spine. "Once I get the one for the Timothy Drake's brain and your spinal installed we can rid of Damian and soon we will have the world's smartest brain and your amazing brutal force working on our favor to cleanse the Earth."

 

Bane nodded in acknowledgement but kept a inquiring look on his eyes.

 

"Oh yes, after that you can have my daughter if you still wish but first The bat must fall."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes today we have two sketch because this time I really liked those and couldn't decide on just one, so there you have it.
> 
> I really hope you are enjoying it and have an awesome week!


	16. Evidences Poem

_ Printed in the enlightening of the darkness _

_ For the eyes able to picture _

_ The unseen images framed on irises _

 

_ Written in the noise of the silence _

_ Only to ears that can capture _

_ The unheard sounds of encrypted melodies _

 

_ Carved into the immaterial of the solidness _

_ To hands apt for the tangibility _

_ The untouched body of inconceivable matter _

 

_ Accuracy leads its ways _

_ The nonexistence of the proofs _

_ That can only be there for who knows it's there _

_ Guiding the worthless discoveries _

_ The wrong minds and hearts  _

_ Unable to see what's always been there _


	17. Evidences Part 01

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick and Barbara make discoveries on Holly's death case, (they were assigned to steal information for Jason and Selina in chapter 'Thievery Part 03'). They also find something Damian has hidden in room from when he visited Holly and Selina's apartment in chapter 'Childmonster Part 01'.  
> And Damian is out to get things fixed, he travels to the Middle East and does not find who he is looking for but someone else, (this part retakes chapter 'Sandstorm Part 03' where we've had Ras stop at the door of his prison to check on it where he's hiding someone and also a couple previous chapters Jason and Dick wonder about where their brother Tim is 'Sandstorm Part 04' and 'Childmonster Part 02').

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW You guys!
> 
> I never expected to get so many lovely and encouraging comments on my note, in fact I didn't expect any response from you at all. So yeah, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. I will get to each of those comments and answer them asap.  
> As an update I'd like to say that things around here were better but unfortunately that isn't the case.
> 
> Well at least I got to finally finish the first chapter of this part and color the sketch for it this week. I really hope you like it and if you find any mistake please let me know.

They stopped in front of the giant double doors, it wasn't so late at night, at least not for them, they shared a wary look along with a small sigh, then Dick opened the door wheeling Barbara in. The two didn't talk, in fact they didn't interact at all making their way to the elevator and down to Batcave, the silence could even be comfortable if they replayed the late night sneak ins they used to pull back when they were teens. This time however, they were invading their mentor's privacy on matters that did not involved them, at least not until his ex decided call them into it and they accepted. Babs sent a worrisome glance to Dick as he moved the metal chair to the side the batcomputer desk for her to have better access to it, she took the place beside him and started typing. 

 

"There's two folders on this case, one for the child's search and one for Holly's death." Barbara said even though she knew Dick was beside her seeing everything. "Both of them are protected and  _ he _ will know if someone tries to access it, I can manage to turn off the alert he would receive right away but when he's back in here he  _ will _ know." She pursed her lips together and Dick grabbed her hand mimicking her expression.

 

"Then we better do this fast and make sure we go over this info now." He spoke determined and squeezed the hand he was holding. 

 

Babs nodded taking in his determination. "I'll crack it all up and you copy it to our hard drive without corrupting the files." 

 

At some point into process of cracking and copying Dick paused while checking the integrity of the files. Barbara noticed how long he took staring at a photo, she turned a bit so she could take a look at it herself, the picture was nothing but half of an old couch, the one Holly died on she supposed, the whole thing was covered in dust with darker spots on where Holly might have leaned on.

 

"What is it?" She asked "What are you seeing?" She clicked on the batcomputer for it to show the same picture on the bigger screen.

 

"I- I'm not sure." Dick pursed his lips and scrunched his eyes taking them away from the picture for a second. "You see this dark dust around some places?" He pointed it and she zoomed in on a spot. "I feel like I've seen it before, it's just weird." 

 

Babs looked to Dick's confused expression, he shook his head several times pausedly, trying to make sense of something, so she waited until he was ready to speak again. 

 

"The night before Bruce and Selina's wedding Jason and I met at his safehouse after patrol, we were just hanging out and having a beer when these two tarts appeared out of nowhere, they had some type of jam in it, it was the sweetest smell I've ever smelled and when we tried to eat them, they turned into some black kind of dust…" For a moment he paused on his words to breathe. "We thought it was prank, maybe from Tim, but his team says he is on a solo mission since the engagement, you know how he is." Dick said chuckling without any fun. "Anyway, back to photo, I know it's silly to compare dusts, it's just that this came up on my mind and I couldn't just shake it away." 

 

"It's not silly Dick, what if those things are in fact connected?" Babs endorsed just before a beep went off, showing their file copying was done. "Let's go we will analyze these better at Hood's base, it's not safe for us to stay here too long without being caught." Dick nodded and they went back upstairs. 

 

"Let me just say hi to Damian, he won't suspect anything and even if he does he'll never tell B." Dick said and Barbara agreed to it.

 

On the hallway in the east wing of the Manor Dick found it strange that the door to Damian's room was opened, unconsciously he hurried his pace. The room was empty when both of them entered, the closet lights were on and the door was also opened, he looked inside it and the backpack were Damian kept his extra Robin suit was gone, Damian was out on his own and this somehow worried Dick. Laying on the floor a black Assassin's suit, one that Dick hasn't seen in Damian's possession for years now, one that reminded him of the cruelty in Damian's being when he had first came to live in Gotham. Dick knelt down and grabbed the suit and when he stood again shaking the clothing a tart fell from one of the pockets, a tart just like the one Dick described earlier, a tart covered in black dust. Barbara was at the door staring to the tart on the ground just like Dick was doing until they finally looked at each other, their eyes shared a tension that went past and beyond their own bodies, it filled the air making it heavier to breathe.

 

"You think Damian could be behind this?" Dick's bottom lip trembled in a dreadful fear as he voiced the question to both himself and Barbara. 

 

Before she could respond some footsteps were heard thumping onto the wood floors of the hallway. 

 

"Shit!" Dick exclaimed suddenly rushing. "Alfred was supposed to wait for Bruce at the party." 

 

In that moment Barbara grabbed Dick by the collar of his blue shirt making him drop the suit he was holding and fall over her and the wheelchair, so she started kissing him intensely. Dick widened his eyes so surprised that he almost didn't notice when Alfred stepped into the room, the elder cleared his throat and their kiss slowed down until it stopped.

 

"Oh, hey Alfred," Barbara greeted teenage like while straightening up in her chair. "We came to grab a few things Dick forgot, right Dick?" She answered the unasked question and Alfred gave them an unsurprised suspicious look. 

 

"Yeah." Dick agreed eagerly to the butler's raised eyebrow. "And you know how Dami likes to steal my hoodies and sweaters, I could say he took after Selina's light hands if they were related, haha." Dick forced a joke.

 

"Very well Master Dick, I would just advise to not take the habit of stealing to yourself." 

 

"Sure thing Alfie, we are uh, gonna go now. Bye." Dick said throwing the clothes on the floor into his backpack and wheeling Barbara out of there.

 

"And Master Dick," Alfred called one last time before they reached the main door. "Be careful when you use what you steal, just as Master Damian is." Both Dick and Barbara swallowed down in air at the firm tone.

 

Dick nodded and with no more words they went away. 

 

* * *

 

The night still hadn't ended when Robin got to the top of Gotham's North hills, there wasn't time to go back and pack up to the longer trip, he had to do with what he had now. Robin dropped his belongings to the grass ground and shouted for Goliath to come, the dragon bat appeared bringing the light of day with him, his red hair fading into the orange that painted the sky. The two smiled at the presence of each other, Damian rubbed his skin against Goliath's fur but the nice greetings didn't take long. 

 

"Goliath, I am in search of someone very important, there is evidence that I'll find them or the path to them in the Middle East." Robin explained with all his determination. "I need you to take me there my friend." Goliath agreed with a little growl and lowered himself so the boy could get on top of him. 

 

The wings of Goliath pierced the air like sharp knives, Robin held onto the straps and the hair of the dragon bat, the wind was merciless making his face cold but that didn't matter, before dusk he should be in the Arab Emirates and with a couple more hours of flight he would get to Kadhym. The thought of being in Kadhym sent shivers down his spine, meeting his mother now didn't seem so appealing to him, neither it was to think that he'd be looking for forgone spirits of the desert, Robin gripped tighter the fur of the dragon bat,  _ it is not too late to go back _ … his mind said, but his heart was made up he needed to bring his father back to himself and his younger sibling was his only chance. Damian sucked in a breath and pulled the straps gently but strongly enough that Goliath flew faster, he hugged his neck and thanked him and Goliath roared a happy roar above the ocean waters. 

 

The skies were dark again as the landed on the sands of Kadhym, a couple of miles away from the Al Ghul's palace. He hopped down the dragon bat, the sand felt soft and welcoming to him even under the green combat boots, the dusty air was comfortably familiar in his lungs. Robin and Goliath walked for a few yards until they stopped at a small stone passage on the ground, the one that led to the subterranean caverns where several years ago Damian had brought Goliath as a cub after murdering his family, now Goliath had grown, didn't fit in the passage anymore and Damian was his only real friend. The boy opened the stone door and looked into the darkness below him but turned around before jumping in.

 

"I'll come back Goliath." He said embracing the red fur. "I won't be far and it won't take long, we'll go back soon, I promise." He let go of the dragon bat that let out a sad yowl and rubbed his head against Damian's small form.

 

Robin left Goliath, who flew away, and so he was alone in the dark and cold caverns, under the burning desert the temperature shock could make anyone pass out but not him, after years of training in these caverns this shock was almost pleasant to him, nostalgic if anything. His sword was set and his posture changed raising his awareness for any assassin or recruit that might be down there, his eyes were open and his pupils constricted adjusting to the darkness, his body followed the lines of wind through the tunnels until he got under the main chambers of the palace and his way was thankfully uninterrupted by anyone. 

 

Up in the floors of the palace, Robin expected to sneak into every office and every room to find evidence of the Al Ghuls using a spirit of the sand and any link he could make between those and Holly Robinson, hopefully that would be the key to find the lost child of Kyle and his father. What he didn't expect was not finding any clue of that the League of Assassins was involved in Holly's death or the disappearing of the Wayne child, either Ra's or Talia had been working alone or something else was going on and he needed to find out what, Robin cursed as he walked silently through the hallways, this was not going as planned and his time was running out. The sound of stern voices pulled him out of his thoughts and he stiffened going in the direction of the sound so he could better hear it, at some point he was able to make out the voice of Ra's Al Ghul talking to someone, he took a few steps forward and finally recognized Bane talking, he just needed to get closer to understand the words. 

 

_ "-use your physical strength and the detective's mind." _ Ra's spoke delighted, Damian could picture the invictus smile on his face. 

 

_ "This Wayne boy you've been keeping in your dungeons, you're going to use him?" _ Bane sounded unsure about his question but for Damian no doubts were left. 

 

Damian's eyes were wide in surprise, not for what he'd just heard but for not thinking of this before  _ what if the kid Kyle and Bruce were searching was here? What if the Al Ghuls were behind this since the beginning? What if it was this boy? What if they kept him here imprisoned in this palace his entire life, away from his family? _ Robin started breathing harder and faster, a minute ago he had no clues of his brother and now he was so close. 

 

A sudden rush took over him and he stormed out of there, Robin had to make it to the prison fast and find this boy and take him to Gotham. Through the secret passages and shortcuts Damian knew very well it wasn't long until he got to the gates of Ra's private jail, the security had been improved since the last time he had been here, the good thing was that Damian was still small enough to crawl between the cavities he discovered as a child to get away from this very same prison. So he went in, the cells were empty as he anticipated, but one cell had the shadow of a small body he could hear the breathing as he dragged his way there through the uneven rock ceiling. He jumped down and carefully picked the locker of the bars already seeing the silhouette of the boy who was apparently asleep or passed out on a corner, so when Damian finally lit up his wrist flashlight he brought his hand to his mouth that dropped open astonished, for he was not seeing who he expected, he was seeing

 

"Drake!?"

 

 

Damian waiting for Goliath. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
> 
> And uh just to explain, I know Damian's outfit is darker and his cape is black with only a yellow string at the edge but I took a little liberty to change it acordingly to what I was envisioning when I drew it so I hope you don't mind. 
> 
> And again Thank you so much for your kindness and for reading this. I LOVE YOU!


	18. Evidences Part 02

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holly's death comes close to a solving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hope you guys are still out there. 
> 
> So this chapter kind of retakes a lot from the 'Sandstorm part 04', when the characters go through what happened with the date tarts Talia send to mess with their heads and also few other less important things from the whole 'Childmonster Part'.
> 
> I haven't had the time to proofread this a second time so if you find any mistakes on the grammar os spelling or any mistake in general please let me know and I'll fix it right away.
> 
> Have a good read!

The silk green slippering and shining on Talia's tan skin almost dared the tight black jacquard dress of Selina to jump at her every time it flowed with her smiles and sarcastic mentions of children, _it's almost like she knows_ , Selina thought, _No. That's impossible, she has nothing to do with it. Damnit!_ Why was she so nervous? She was letting Talia beat her at the charming smiley game and as if there weren't enough exes for her to deal with, Vicky Vale kept trailing behind them thirsty for a breaking new story on whatever drama the Waynes would be up to. Selina took in a deep breath and sat down on a blue velvet sofa close by, _all of this is for my baby_. She reminded herself as she watched Talia share seductive looks with Bruce while Vicky tried to cling to him from the side running a hand over his Italian suited chest, all laughing and smiling. Now Selina could understand Bruce doing it, it was natural for him at this point to behave like that in parties and Vicky surely knew how to dance to that music if it meant a good story with her name on it, but Talia descending from her Arabian Royalty post to play this games? That what was somehow off,  was she even doing in Gotham? And who was that strange woman with her? Said woman glanced at her and for a moment Selina couldn't see her eyes, it was like they were dissolving into dust. 

 

"-much longer." She caught on mid sentence what Jason's voice spoke from beside her.

 

Cat hadn't even realized Jason had sat on the sofa, she closed her eyes and shook her head trying to recompose herself and focus on the suspicious woman but when she opened her eyes again the woman was gone. 

 

"Dick and Babs are on their way back." Jason spoke again taking Selina away from her mind startle, her baby was more important now.

 

"Good." She finally answered Jason putting on a smile. "I don't think I can stand this 'party' or our 'guests' any longer." Selina went for a sip of the champagne but instead she downed the whole glass when Bruce and her crossed side eye looks and no smiles could mask their anger at each other.

 

Jason dismissed a few guests and had both Miguel and Suzie to handle the end of the party while he and Selina retired themselves upstairs, with luck Babs and Dick would already be up there with good news and they could start going over the information right away. Up in the main office the door closed with a click just as Dick and Barbara entered through the terrace, their faces tightened when they looked at Jason and Selina and instantly they knew right away that good news were definitely off the table.

 

"So…" Jason started as they settled down on the sitting area. "Did you guys get anything?" 

 

The couple exchanged looks followed by small gulps before saying "yes."

 

"What?" Selina asked a little louder than she intended. "What's it that you found?"

 

"It wasn't actually in B's files, but we found this." Barbara took Damian's black suit out of the bag they were carrying and set it on the coffee table, the black dirt flew over it. "Dick thinks this is the same dust that was on Holly's apartment when she died." Barbara stated looking for any clue in Selina's face.

 

Selina frowned confused but Jason's eyes widened as he looked directly at the suit. "This is…" He hesitated.

 

"Yes it is Damian's." The grave voice came from a corner in the room.

 

Everyone turned to look at Bruce, who walked up to them with that heavy stoic frame on his expression. 

 

"Bruce?" Dick was the first to speak. "But how?"

 

"I put a safety device on you when you left the Manor to ensure your well being." He answered blandly and Dick's face grew red in anger. 

 

"You really need to stop bugging your sons." Selina said shaking her head slowly.

 

"That is unimportant now." Bruce refuted and turned to Barbara and Dick. "Why do you both assume the dust in this is the same as the one in Holly's apartment?" He questioned. 

 

"We found this close up picture of the spot she died, the color and the grammage look the same." Barbara answered trying to shush Dick from his anger. "We'd have to get a sample of the dust to confirm it, but that's a lead." 

 

To that Bruce nodded and everyone but Selina leaned closer to analyze the photo and the suit. 

 

"It wasn't him!" She stated reading their expressions. "Damian didn't kill Holly."

 

They all turned to her, she was gripping tight to the grey leather of seat's arm and her bottom lip trembled. 

 

"I have confirmed that there was a third person there that night and if Dick is right that third person most likely _is_ Damian." Bruce said looking directly at her.

 

"He was there." She surprised them. "Damian was there the night she died but he did not kill her."

 

"What? Do you see him? Did he get there after you?" Dick rushed the questions.

 

"Yes I saw him, I didn't see when he got there, he was at the window, said that I lied to him and then he left." She said. 

 

"Selina," Dick leaned and grabbed her hands. "I wanna believe he didn't do it too but it isn't unlike him, Damian's killed before and if he's in dark place right now it is possible that he's done it again." He paused to let his words sink in not only for her but for himself as well. "That doesn't mean we can't work things out, we can show him he's wrong and help him and also find your kid, maybe they can even be friends. Damian has had a hard time with siblings before but we figured it out. What if he knew about your kid? He has been down since you guys let him off the hook on the wedding thing, maybe he just…" Dick didn't finish but managed to keep Selina's attention. 

 

"It's impossible." Jason said shaking his head and standing. "Damian thought Selina was pregnant, I met him some nights after the death and we talked, that's why I knew what the subject was you came to me asking for that Leslie meeting and that's why I assumed you were pregnant, because Damian told me that. Also he was wearing that exact same suit." He glanced at the piece of clothing. 

 

"That doesn't exclude him from having killed her." Bruce interjected. 

 

"Bruce!" They all exclaimed. 

 

"He didn't do it!" Selina stood up in front of the man. 

 

"And how do you know that?" He raised his voice to her. 

 

"I know. I don't know how. I just do." She answered calming her spirit. 

 

"This fighting won't get us anywhere." Barbara finally spoke again looking up from her laptop.

 

"Babs is right." Dick agreed. "Fighting isn't going to help, plus that isn't everything." He went through their bag and pulled out a little crumbling tart dissolving into the dark sand. "Jason do you remember-" Jason was already nodding but Dick never got to finish his question.

 

"Where did you get that?" Bruce and Selina asked in one sound.

 

"The night before the wedding." Bruce said. "In the cave"

 

"It was the middle of the night." Selina said. "In the kitchen of the Manor." 

 

"I was late we were just having beers at my safehouse." Jason disrupted the tension with a quizzical tone. 

 

It took them a while to sit down again and share their stories with one another, apparently at the same time on the night before Selina and Bruce's failed wedding they all received that piece of desert and when they were about to eat it the thing turned to dust, the same dust in Holly's apartment and in Damian's ninja suit. Jason took on to wonder why would he receive one of this he had nothing to do with the wedding and why the other bats haven't received one too.

 

"Maybe it wasn't for you Jason." Barbara spoke in. "There was only one tart, maybe it was meant for Dick. What if there was four? And one was for Damian and he didn't eat it? Just after the four of you came back from the Middle East." 

 

"Holly was killed by in unknown substance, it could be this dust." Bruce agreed. "Barbara can you run the dust and see if it matches the composition of what killed her." 

 

"Already on it."

 

"And Barbara, see if you can link this to the date scarcity on the town near Khadym. Those tarts are obviously date tarts and if it was for the four of us who were in the Middle East then it's worth a shot." 

 

"I'll look into it."

 

"Talia…" Selina interrupted them in a sudden realization. "She kept talking about children and she had Holly for who knows how long." 

 

"I'll tell Suzie and Miguel to not let her leave." Jason said clicking on his comn. "Too late she's already gone. Damnit!" 

 

"Guys." Barbara called. "There's something else, another person was investigating Holly's trip to Khadym even before you guys went there." She paused to look up at them. "It was Tim. The Titans reported that he went on a solo mission a few days after you were back and now I found that his database hasn't been updated since."

 

"We need to go there." Selina stated upon hearing it. 

 

"Yes and we need to find Talia and Tim, they might have answers not only to Holly's death but probably on our child." Bruce completed. 

 

"I'll go with you." Jason said and Selina nodded. 

 

"What about Damian?" Dick asked. 

 

"We will take care of him when we come back okay?" Selina walked up to Dick and reassured him. 

 

"Dick you should go too, I'll stay and work on whatever info I can get." Babs suggested. "You guys will need a lot of help if you are to invade Khadym and get Tim back."

 

"We've done it not so long ago." Selina mildly bragged. "But I agree with Babs, you should come." 

 

"So it's settled." Bruce said. "I'll have Alfred prepare the jet."

 

 

 

 

Bruce and Selina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have an awesome sunday guys!


	19. Evidences Part 03

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Damian speak and some things get explained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys, obviously there's a new chapter and this time I decide to put the recap in the notes 'cause I felt like the summary was too crowded so...
> 
> This chapter basically takes bits and pieces of most of the first two parts 'Sandstorm' and 'Childmonster', the view of Tim is added for scenes like the visits from Ra's Al Ghul to the underground prison in Khadym and covers what Bane and Ra's had been doing together in the last paragraph of 'Thievery Part 04', it also does some type of mention to the spinal reconstruction Damian went through in the comics 'Batman and Robin' issue #7 which will be important pretty soon.
> 
> I wish all a good read guys and awesome week!

"Damian? What are you doing in here?" Tim asked with a confidence not fit for someone locked up in chains.

 

Damian hesitated not knowing how to answer. "I am dealing with family issues." He replied after a while.

 

Steps on the stone floor startled them, their eyes widened and Time whispered for Damian to run. Instead, the Robin rushed to cut off the chains attached to Tim's wrists and ankles and pulled him to a cavity in the back of cell. They fit in there tightly and watched an assassin guard checked the place out and obviously got surprised by the lack of prisoner in the cell, he quickly warned the other guards that were probably around the tunnels and told someone else to inform Ras. In the small cavity Tim shook his head and gave Damian a gallic shrug.

 

"What the hell did you do?" Tim asked whispering after the guard left.

 

"Don't be retarded Drake, I was freeing you." Damian whispered back clicking his tongue at the end. 

 

"You can whisper click your tongue?" Tim asked dumbfounded but when Damian opened his mouth to make a probably very snide remark Tim spoke again. "You know what nevermind, just how did you think freeing me was a good idea? Now every assassin is out here looking for me and we don't have a way out without passing through them." Tim rolled his eyes, trying to think of a solution. 

 

"I know my way around these caverns better than any of those assassins. I was born and raised in this maze." Damian bragged. 

 

Damian crawled out of the cavity and gestured for Tim to follow him. In another corner of the cell where he move a few rocks to open a tiny passage. Tim looked at Damian shaking his head for he wouldn't fit into the hole and who knew where it was headed anyways. Damian rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue at the time they were wasting the longer Tim took to make a decision, but another round of steps sound made it for them and they both wiggled into the narrow tunnel. 

 

The further they got into the tunnel the wider it got, it wasn't long until they reached a bigger cavern that led to a few other tunnels, thankfully larger than the one they'd just been in, Tim noticed. Damian sat on a large rock on the ground and started going through his backpack. 

 

"Are you hungry?" He asked Tim offering him a protein bar and Tim's head shook a little in startlement. "Take it." The boy reinforced and Tim took the food. "I only prepared provisions for two so we will have to ration." Damian said closing his backpack again. 

 

"Wait! For two?" Tim suddenly asked surprised. "But you didn't know I was here." He said and Damian agreed with a shake of head. "Damian… Who else is joining us?" Tim started to get more and more worried with the Robin's expression. 

 

"Father's other child." He said flatly ignoring the widening eyes of Tim. "I do not know who they are yet but I am going to find out and I believe they might be here." Damian finished swallowing down a dry breath.

 

"Wait damian, that isn't possible, Bruce doesn't have any other children." Tim said confidently. "Not that I know of." He doubted himself for a second. 

 

"Well he does and I am going to find them and bring them to Gotham." He said determined. "But what are you doing here Drake?"

 

"It's a long story." Tim tried to dismiss the subject looking to the sides. 

 

"We have time." Damian narrowed his eyes suspicious, any piece of information was now very important. "The tunnels we have to go through are long as well." 

 

Tim sat down and stared at Damian's tight expression for several seconds but then decided to talk. "A couple of months ago Ra's Al Ghul tried to contact me." He started with a serious tone. "I thought it to be the usual thing of 'planning to make the world better and greater with the use of my intellect.' "  He air quoted. "I let it go but not long after I learned about Bruce and Selina decision to marry, I knew Bruce would never marry someone who wasn't clean and Selina… Well let's say she's got her taints, though all of the robberies were already either returned goods or the sentence paid by her, except for the 237 deaths she took on that weren't actually on her but on her best friend Holly Robinson. So knowing Bruce as we know it was certain that he would want all of this cleared up before he took the next step with Selina." Tim felt the gulp Damian gave at that and could help but mimic the tense action. "He didn't know I knew all of this, none of them knew, so I let things take their own course but then I noticed Holly escaping Arkham with both Bane and Ra's help, she then traveled all the way here to the Middle East, but not to meet with them as I supposed, she went to Talia's lair. That's when I realized something was really off, and maybe Ra's previous contact hadn't been just like any other. Why would Holly betray her best friend to go meet the ex of Selina's soon to be husband? I doesn't make sense." 

 

Tim was prepared to continue talking when movement on one of the tunnels put them both to alert. Damian quickly turned off the flashlight and pulled Tim with him through a large corridor of rocks. In the darkness Tim was barely able to make out the silhouette of Damian in front of him but the other boy seemed to walk in there like they were in the light of day. At some point, long after the signs of any assassins had faded, they slowed down and Damian turned the flashlight back on. There were cracks and scratches on the walls, old and new ones, dried stains of blood tainted their dark cold grey, Tim looked at Damian and his gaze was paralyzing, behind the stoicism of his posture, Tim could see his irises trembling in fear and a chill ran down Tim's entire body.

 

"So I decided to look into it." Tim resumed his story trying to escape his own tension, Damian didn't talk but nodded in acknowledgement as they kept walking. 

 

"Turns out I was right about Ra's Al Ghul, he planned to use Bane body strength and my mind intellect for an experiment in order to expand our capabilities to the maximum and combine them to make the perfect soldier, from what I found he's already tried it out on somebody else, some type of equipment attached to the spinal cord that can control all the nerves and the brain of its host." Tim paused, he and Damian knew very well who that someone else was. "Still I couldn't find the connection to Holly's escapade so I decided to come here and find out. What happened is that Holly had encountered Talia before, apparently she had stole something for Talia over a decade ago and was looking for a payback in form of protection but instead she threw Holly in her dungeons. Meanwhile Bane was lurking over Talia and conspired with Ra's because he wanted her and Ra's offered her to him in exchange for Bane's physical strength. So Bane got close to Holly when she went back to Gotham to put whatever plan he had in action, that's when Ra's caught me, well I needed to be inside his palace to get more info and the best way was giving myself in. Ra's usually came to my cell an gave me bits of information but never too much, he said something about Talia having 'stolen from thief and never found by the detective', I assume the detective is most definitely Bruce and the thief might be Selina. I was slowly gathering more info but you appeared and freed me, now I have to find other ways to stop Ra's." Tim grunted as he finished speaking.

 

Damian stopped unexpectedly but didn't let their silence drag long. "Holly is dead." It was clear that Tim had not known that before but his face was far from surprised. 

 

That was Damian's cue to speak. As they walked, taking turn after turn in those dark caverns, the Robin told the story from beginning to end. All about their last trip to the Middle East and how Holly was strange, the disappearance of the dates, the failed wedding, then the _death_ … Damian recalled the feeling of betrayal and abandonment when he learned about the child, though his voice came out as flat as he meant to. He then got to the explanation of how he started investigating and connecting the death to the spirits of sand, his answers might be with the Al Ghuls and that's how he ended up there in Khadym, that's when Tim asked him to stop, they were near a opening in the rocks but not as big as the cavern they had stopped before. 

 

"We should move Drake." Damian told him clicking his tongue. "We are under the main chambers of the palace right now, it's not safe to just stop around here." 

 

"Damian..." Tim said, his voice somewhat haunted. "The child." Damian narrowed his eyes questioning. "The child was stolen from the thief. Holly stole Selina's child." Tim spoke stoked realization . "Talia took the child and either killed or incubated it for her sick experiments." It was like Tim was thinking out loud putting the pieces together. 

 

Tim raised his head to look at Damian's face, the features resembling every piece of Bruce but the narrowed eyes flickering green with the flashlight. He couldn't help but drop his mouth open and swallow down on air.

 

"Damian." Tim called even though the boy was already looking at him. "When did you say Selina got pregnant?"

 

"About thirteen years ago." Damian answered annoyed.

 

"And how old are you?" Tim locked his gaze to Damian's.

 

"What are you assuming Drake? Don't be ridiculous." Damian snapped understanding fully well where Tim was going with this. 

 

"There is a possibility." Tim tried. "You might not be who you think you are." 

 

"Enough of this nonsense Drake. I know who I am!" Damian said louder than he should have and the tunnels echoed his voice. "Father's done a DNA test when I first went to Gotham, I _am_ an Al Ghul Wayne." He lowered his tone but they could already hear assassins guards were already running through the tunnels.

 

This time they crawled together to a cramped small space between a few rocks and went back to whispering. 

 

"I'm not saying you're not a Wayne." Tim clarified. "I'm saying that you might not be an Al Ghul, when Bruce did the DNA test, he did a paternity test there was nothing about your mother in it." He insisted. "You said you have samples of Selina and Bruce's blood with you we could run a test right now with your portable computer." 

 

"I said it was enough Drake." Damian got red in anger. "These samples are to do the test for our brother or sister, not to waste on some senseless theory of yours."

 

"You know there is a chance." Tim knew he was pushing the Robin to the limit now. "Wait did you just imply that I'm your brother?" Tim asked.

 

Damian got flustered enough with the realization that Tim had just the right amount of time to grab his backpack and steal the samples and portable computer. 

 

"We don't need to use it all." Tim told Damian. "If you're so sure then let's just do it and when we're done we'll still have enough blood to do another test and I will help find this kid." The Robin simply nodded. 

 

Knife in hand, Damian cut the tip of a finger and let the blood drip over the device's scanner. After it read the sample, Tim cleaned it and poured a few drops of Bruce's blood, clearly waiting for the match, at last he scanned Selina's blood and for a second there the device was taking too long to give them an answer. Tim's hand involuntarily touched Damian's, cold sweat was covering it and he cold feel the bits of uncontrollable shaking that came from his fingers. The small screen finished analysing and both Tim and Damian fixed eyes on the bold green letters that read:

 

 _MATCH_  

 

Damian's body went still, he tried to open his mouth but there was a gag and his voice cracked all the sound was stolen, his mind started whirling in a chaotic emptiness, he would not even dare to look at Timothy, still his eyes filled up with salty water, he didn’t know where it was coming from since everything in his mind, body and spirit had been frozen right then.

 

Before he was able to even begin processing what was happening a shadow covered them and they turned heads to the outside of the cavity. Ra's Al Ghul was there hands locked behind his back and face wearing an evil smile of satisfaction as the guards behind him came for the Robins.

 

 

 

Tim?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drawing omg I don't even know what's going on... (I'm still laughing at how bad Tim's face looks, honestly) still I didn't want to leave you guys without a sketch.
> 
> I hope you all liked this chapter.  
> XO


	20. Evidences Part 04

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina and Talia fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys missed you and missed this story.
> 
> As accorded I'm trying to take it slow with this story so it doesn't become just one more burden in my life.  
> Still I feel like you guys deserve an apology for having to wait so much and I don't want you to worry because I won't give up on it, so I'm sorry.
> 
> I really hope you like this chapter and have an awesome sunday.

Sitting up in a throne like chair by the entrance Talia welcomed her guests.

 

"Beloved." She said in a delightful grave like her lips were dripping honey at every syllable. 

 

Talia didn't care for addressing any of the companions of her beloved as she was standing up with her arms slightly opened for an embrace. Catwoman's blood grew hot and she reached for her whip, hadn't Nightwing and Red Hood touched her hands in gentle reprimands she would have started a fight right then. Batman sensed the tension and stepped forward.

 

"What do you know about Holly's death Talia?" He cut to the interrogation with a thunder grave voice. 

 

"Oh beloved, you used to be so much more enjoyable back on our days together." Talia giggled lightly.

 

"We don't have time for your games Talia." Batman replied having none of it. 

 

"Well it appears to me that you depend on my answers to follow up in your quest." Talia shifted her gaze to fakely check her nails. "And Darling I have all the time in the world."

 

Bruce grunted and gulped silently. 

 

Selina then let go of the younger heroes beside her and walked slowly towards Talia, on her way Cat posed up to match the other woman's posture. "What do you want Talia?" She asked with a calm threatening voice. 

 

Talia turned her attention to Selina and gave her a derision sigh. She went back to her throne slowly swaying with her battle dress and sat down to stare at Selina for an awkwardly long time. "Perhaps I should greet you all with a welcoming dinner." She decided and then smiled directly at the Cat. 

 

"Alright." Selina let out an easy smug breath. "You can play the music but remember Talia, I am the best dancer around here and at the end I am the thief who steals the show."

 

Talia replied with the same threatening smug smile and no more words were said. They all followed her into a grand dining hall with a giant throne space on one end and a long ornated table in the center of the other end, the embroidery of the curtains seemed to match the detail sculpturing of the chairs, green silks and velvets enriched the woods and strings of gold brought the room to a divine finesse. Still, there were no signs food on the table, even though the seats were arranged for the five of them like this dinner wasn't a frivolous decision Talia had just taken.

 

Once they were all seated Talia clapped her hands in the air commandingly and the woman from the Iceberg Lounge party appeared beside her. "I think we should be untraditional this time." Talia said turning from her servant to the guests on the table. "I say we start this dinner out with desserts." She held an inviting tone almost as asking them to agree and dismissive of all the heavy tension in the room. "That is it Nasrin. Bring us dessert." She finally decided after no answers were received.

 

The time it took for Nasrin to get back was dreadfully haunting, other servants poured Arak on their glasses, the alcoholic smell overtaking the room as their drinks went untouched and nobody said a single word to the smiles of Talia. 

 

"Kyle," Talia addressed Selina's name for the first time that night, absurdly sounding like Damian. "You know" she started, her voice so condescending and a familiar sweet smell embraced the air as the steps of Nasrin got louder through the corridors "she was so consumed by her own guilt that she didn't even beg for her life." Talia downed her shot of the Arak staring directly at Selina as date pies were set on the table in enormous amounts. 

 

A chill ran through Selina's spine, her lips and eyelids started shaking, the veins in her eyes reddened with boiling blood, a sour lump grew from her throat and into her mouth but and she was barely able to blink as her anger equaled the spiteful pleasure in Talia's face. Selina looked around, the boys were gulping with pale faces, Batman kept his expression as stoic and cold as ever, not a twitch in his face was seen, the servants acting with a natural indifference and Talia, Talia let out an amused laugh. That was it, that woman was dying tonight and Selina wouldn't mind the presence of the bats, Talia's life was ending that night even if Selina died as well. 

 

"Oh please don't be so mad at me." Talia said taking a delicious bite of her tart. "It isn't like you wouldn't kill her yourself." She gave the Cat a quick eyebrow raise and straightened her pose up to that of the royal woman she was.

 

"You fool harlot, you say you are _The_ thief but the only thing you are is a petty stray. You are a nobody. You have nothing Catwoman. I took everything you had, I took the love of your life and made him love me, I took your best friend and turned her into the most evil of your enemies and she handed your very own child to me and I made _it_ my own little monster." Talia laughed vigorously.

 

Selina stood up shaking connecting every dot. her body pulsing in a rage ready to explode. "Where is Damian?" She asked roughly walking around the table her whip in hand. "Where is my son!?" She shouted panting. 

 

Talia laughed even louder and a couple of gasps we're hear from the other side of the table where the three men sat static. Before Selina could jump over Talia who was already standing herself, the giant double doors opened and Ra's Al Ghul entered the place in all his greatness, beside him Bane walked with a victorious smirk on his face and a little far behind guards carried the unconscious forms of Damian and Tim, freshly beaten up as they had clearly just lost a fight. Selina turned around and ran to him immediately forgetting her rival behind, but Ra's intercepted her way and Bane stood in front of her like a wall. 

 

"Not yet thief." Ra's said in a grave imposing tone.

 

As quickly as Selina, Batman and the two former Robin's also headed to the younger boy but only to be trapped by chains of sand coming from the Nasrin woman beside Talia, the princess also seemed a little surprised upon seeing her father and Bane.

 

Ra's sat on the throne by the other end of the room and bane silently followed be his side, The boys were taken to the corner with guards surrounding them. 

 

"Nasrin." Ra's spoke "Bring the detective and his _associates_ to me." The sand spirit promptly obeyed, Talia protested and Nightwing and Red Hood squirmed trying to get out of the trap, Batman resigned to staying still in the sand's grip, Ra's could already see him forming his escape plan. 

 

And they were taken to another corner, so Talia and Selina were the only ones left in the center of the room still close to the table.

 

For a moment Ra's ignored both of them and turned to the males in the room.

 

"It is fortunate that you are all here to witness the birth of the greatest human warrior this planet has ever seen" The man started signing for Ravi, the servant, to come in. "With a new well developed intra nervous spine system." He stood and took the spinal cord like device and showed it up to the everyone. "Based on my very successful prior prototype." Ra's smiled evilly to a half waking Damian. "I will be able to combine the physical and intellectual strength of Bane and the young detective to command my army of assassins and wipe this world clean of its tortuous ways." He finished sitting back down.

 

Bane who was standing valently by Ra's side leaned over to ask. "And Talia?" 

 

"Yes, yes Bane, when all is done you can have Talia at your will." Ra's replied quietly in a dismissive way. 

 

"Which reminds me." He now spoke loudly turning to the two women in the center of the room. "We shall end the shenanigans of these two." The loosened himself on his seat. "First I will tell a story." He smiled at Damian for the second time that night. 

 

"In the christian book, the Bible, a great king, Solomon, once came across a difficult situation. Two women had come into his palace with two children, one was dead and the other was alive. Both women claimed that the living child was theirs and the dead one was the other's. Well Solomon in his wisdom decided that with a sword he would cut the living child in a half and give it to the women to solve the problem. Now the end of this story is insignificant here, as I differently than Solomon would rather have the mothers use the sword to decide who stays with the child, if any of them can get out alive themselves of course." Ra's smirked and clapped his hands, in second two servants appeared handing Selina and Talia saif swords. "Wake the boy." Ra's ordered the assassins in charge of Robin. "Make him watch." 

 

A long breath, that was the time Selina took deciding whether to grab that sword or not but the look on Talia's face already with the sword in hand and the sound of Damian awaking a little behind made her mind at last. Selina and Talia rose their guards and spent a couple of minutes staring at each other pacing back and forth but none made the first move. The Cat saw Talia checking on everyone else watching driving Selina to look around as well and then The Snake threw an overhand cut. Selina jumped back almost unable to avoid the blade, Talia came forward not wasting one single blow of her sword and Selina's moves became only a product of her reflexes. She jumped over in a acrobatic move to switch places with Talia and there, in the middle of the air, she took a pause to remember their last fight, to memorize Talia's moves, to use them against her. Talia's sword descended one more time and like whip Selina used her sword to wrap around Talia’s and block the blade but she got too close her eyes followed Talia's sword and saw the bleeding cut in her arm, The Snake laughed.

 

That was the moment Selina's mind replayed the _"dinner"_ earlier, the laughs and the sarcasm in her voice. She got up and spun her blade over Talia who defend the blow. Selina reminded the gala and the cruelty in Talia's eyes upon making notes of her child, she remembered Holly and the betrayal, she remembered the tarts, she remembered crying on that old couch for Talia's amusement while she tortured her baby, she remembered the feeling of grieving a child she thought she would never meet. A succession of overhand cuts now belonged to Selina as her sword wheezed in the air and now Talia was barely able to keep up with the accelerated rhythm. 

 

In the middle of a blow Selina caught the green eyes of Damian and her core was shaken off balance, that was the first time she saw him after she _knew_ and she could tell by the tears he was fighting to not let down that he too _knew_ . With a scream she threw her arm forward cutting in deep on Talia's stomach. Her mind ran over the little moments she shared with Dami, _her Dami_ , on the tailor, how handsome her son was, petting Alfred on the couch, how sweet and darling, the late nights out in Gotham, how smart and strong and brave… How could she ever let that pass. Selina's blood boiled and she howled out a battle cry as she took Talia down to her knees and she fell with the next blow. So Selina cried by not being able to remember anything, not the first time he opened his eyes, his first words, first steps, the first book he read, the first time he smiled every little piece she missed, every little thing she was never going to remember. Her body became a shaking mess but every muscle of it concentrated on the sword in her hands, Talia crawled on her back like a scared prey but the burning fire of Selina's eyes exploded in her constricted pupils as she descended sword over the other woman one last time with a buzz cutting the air. 

 

"MOTHER!" Selina heard Damian scream. 

 

And all the adrenaline rush that kept her fighting to that very moment ran out, time slowed down as her eyes followed the boy running towards her and jumping under the sword. Her eyes, widening even bigger, didn't dare blink at the image of her son shielding Talia, placed between the two of them, the boy and blade. In that brief second she and Talia crossed gazes, the fear, the frantic trembling and the panic matched making their expressions become one and in one shaking sound, a synchrony of chaos they spoke, they asked panting.

 

"Damian…?" 

 

 

Selina.


End file.
